SAN FRANCISCO, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Alaska had the highest overall Internet penetration rate among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the United States, a new study has found.

    In October 2007, when the most recent data is available, 76.1 percent of Alaskans aged 3 and over had Internet access from any location either inside or outside their homes, Alaska's largest newspaper Anchorage Daily News reported on Thursday, citing latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.

    Alaska was followed by New Hampshire, which had an overall Internet access rate of 74.6 percent. The national average was 62.4 percent of people having Internet access from any location.

    Alaska also ranked second among the U.S states for rate of home Internet access, with 78.5 percent of Alaskans aged 3 and over living in a household with Internet access. New Hampshire topped the category with a rate of 82.6 percent.

    According to the study, among U.S. households using the Internet in 2007, some 82 percent had a high-speed connection, and about 17 percent used a dial-up connection.