We Can't Afford To Short Change Rural America

[Commentary] To anyone in Congress trying to cut funding for rural broadband, ask yourself this: do you care about the future economic viability of the rural communities you represent? If so, how can you justify taking away money from the only infrastructure that gives these rural communities a fighting chance to not just survive but thrive in the 21st century? It's like saying, "Rural America doesn't deserve to be a player on the world's stage, their businesses don't need any help competing in the global economy, their children are just fine being disconnected and unable to access the resources of their peers, their elderly and sick can get by without top-flight medical care" and so on. I can't help but feel that anyone trying to cut funding from rural broadband is basically saying, "Well, this looks like it's going to be hard, and there's no guarantee it's going to succeed, so let's hedge our bets and back off from pushing all in."