Beyond connectivity: The role of broadband in rural economic growth and resilience

Broadband access is increasingly recognized as essential infrastructure in today’s economy, with the ability to connect residents and businesses to economic opportunities nationwide, even in remote rural areas. However, rural America has lagged behind metropolitan areas in broadband investment, exacerbating economic disparities between rural and nonrural America. The lack of connectivity has hindered rural communities’ ability to participate in the 21st-century digital economy, especially with the rise of the knowledge economy. But broadband access may have the most significant potential impact on rural areas in accessing economic opportunities. While recent initiatives have expanded rural broadband access, it can become a transformative tool for rural economic development and resilience only when it is widely utilized and effectively leveraged. The findings reveal higher broadband utilization (higher broadband adoption rates and a higher prevalence of small broadband service providers) improves the economic dynamism of rural areas.