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.
