08/15/07 Farm Internet access improving

Washington Ag August 15, 2007 High-speed Internet access methods, such as DSL, cable, satellite and wireless, have become much more available to Internet users in the farm sector since 2005. A recent survey by the National Agricultural Statistics Service shows that in Washington state the proportion of farm operators using DSL more than tripled in 2007, at 38 percent, compared with the 2005 level of nine percent. Cable, satellite and wireless were reported as the primary access method on 24 percent of Washington farms with Internet access, up from 12 percent in 2005. Use of dial up access to the internet on Washington farms has dropped from 77 percent two years ago to 34 percent this year. Mark Aiken with the National Agricultural Statistics Service says dial up has been a limiting factor in farmers using computers to conduct business. Aiken; "We do realize from experience with our electronic data reporting that a number of respondents have tried to complete our surveys over the Internet and they have become frustrated because they have a dial-up connection and the download speed is very slow." While only 35 percent of U.S. farmers use computers to conduct business 50 percent of Washington farmers say they do. I'm Bob Hoff.