Without broadband, rural economies miss out on post-pandemic recovery

The conventional wisdom has been that major cities have borne the economic brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic and face the longest odds of a full and quick recovery. While the future of many American cities may truly be challenging, the pandemic’s toll on rural economies may be even more difficult to overcome in the long-term because of insufficient digital infrastructure and broadband access. According to the Federal Communications Commission, nearly four in ten rural Americans do not have access to high-speed internet, roughly ten times the rate among urban Americans. Almost a third of farmers have no access to the internet at all, according to the USDA. Many Americans living in rural communities lack the internet access necessary to utilize sharing economy platforms, connect with a growing cohort of potential customers, and earn income—especially in a moment of unprecedented economic hardship. Broadband internet is no longer a modern luxury. It’s essential infrastructure to participate in the economy of today and tomorrow, and the lack of broadband creates perhaps the largest opportunity costs facing Americans who live in rural areas.

[Laphonza Butler is the North American Public Policy Director for Airbnb.]