The Great Economic Leveler: Municipal Broadband Provides Digital Equality to Rural America

In the metropolitan hubs of the world, access to ubiquitous high-speed fiber within city limits is almost taken for granted these days. But for many people in rural areas, such access is limited. Service providers understandably often can’t provide fiber access to the last mile in rural areas because of the sheer expense of laying and maintaining fiber to each home in sparsely populated areas. This has left many people underserved for decades, relying on legacy copper networks to attempt to bridge the digital divide. But with service providers unable to go to the last mile because of the expense, what can rural communities feasibly do to maintain pace with their metro counterparts? After all, reliable residential broadband is no longer a nice-to-have but a must-have – just like electricity. Rural regions may need to take it upon themselves to bring access to their communities – and many are doing so, looking to residential broadband as a regional, government-led initiative.

[Steve Alexander is the chief technology officer of Ciena]