Access Granted: Rural Broadband Options, Obstacles, and Solutions

As state and local officials across the country consider bills addressing broadband service and decide how to allocate funding received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, a new white paper from the Center for Rural Affairs offers ideas and solutions for improving access in rural areas. Molly Malone, Senior Policy Associate for the Center, and author of “Access Granted: Rural Broadband Options, Obstacles, and Solutions” said broadband access is a topic of discussion in rural communities across the country and has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Broadband is core infrastructure,” she said. “Without it, people cannot participate fully in our economy and society. If service is unavailable, unaffordable, unreliable, or weak, or has a long lag time, it can affect the viability of a community.” Using examples, such as education, health care, economic development, and agriculture, the paper addresses the importance of reliable service, as well as connectivity options.