CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia ranks first in the nation for people without high-speed Internet, according to a new federal report.

About 845,000 West Virginians -- or 46 percent of the state's residents -- don't have access to broadband Internet service, the Federal Communications Commission reported this week.

The report -- based on data from June 2011 -- also showed that even West Virginians with broadband have Internet speeds far slower rates than most states.

Other states with limited broadband access were Montana (27 percent) and South Dakota (21 percent).

The lack of broadband is greatest in rural areas, according to the FCC report. 

In West Virginia's rural communities, 60 percent of people can't get high-speed Internet, compared to 31 percent in non-rural areas.

Read more in Thursday's Gazette.