Too Many Rural Americans Are Living In the Digital Dark. The Problem Demands A New Deal Solution

There’s no doubt that more patients and providers are relying on telehealth than ever before. But rural Americans are 10 times more likely to lack broadband access than their urban counterparts. This rural telehealth crisis must be addressed at the federal level. Whatever the total cost of solving the rural broadband challenge, it is clear that tens of billions of dollars in federal investment is needed. Critics may claim that the private sector can, and should, solve this problem. But if that were true, it would have already done so. Back in the 1930s, electric companies had the ability—but not the economic incentive—to electrify rural areas. The same holds true today for rural broadband. Today’s lack of rural broadband is a market failure that can only be cured with federal dollars. Federal investment in rural electrification helped ignite investment across the country.

[Mark Dornauer and Robert Bryce are visiting fellows at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity]