Rural Connection: Increasing Broadband Infrastructure to Meet 21st Century Needs

Less than 20%, or one in five people, live in a geographically rural area. Although each community is unique, certain trends have been observed – rural America has become older, poorer, and less populated. One step the US government is taking to improve conditions in rural areas is investing almost $700 million in rural broadband internet and e-Connectivity. Proponents believe that strengthening internet infrastructure will not only assist economic recovery, but also have positive externalities that will connect people to resources related to healthcare, education, food, and infrastructure. Time will tell whether or not the efforts to close the rural broadband gap will be successful.