Rural Broadband

There is a growing digital divide between the urban/suburban haves and the rural have-nots. Like water, electricity or natural gas, high-speed Internet access has become a basic necessity for most people, and a linchpin to rural economic development.

But telecommunications companies have failed to make the needed investments in rural infrastructure and technology. As a result rural communities are falling behind in economic development, education and healthcare.

• Businesses move to areas with better infrastructure.

• Schools struggle to provide sufficient access to educational materials and resources.

• Rural healthcare providers are limited in their access to the latest innovations in tele-medicine.

Some rural communities are establishing local, municipally-owned broadband networks. Still others are working to forge partnerships with local employers and colleges to share the cost of developing the networks.

Public policies must promote open-access and innovative solutions on the state and federal level and support rural communities in this effort.