Tuesday, Aug 9 2011 12:48PM
Without reliable or fast internet service, rural communities in Oregon may not see an increase in businesses moving there, experts told the Mail Tribune.
According to the Mail Tribune, many companies are setting up operations in Oregon's urban centers rather than its rural communities, which has kept employment opportunities from many state residents.
The paper reports cities such as Portland and Seattle have grown substantially in recent years, as many entrepreneurs have chosen to base their companies in high-volume business centers.
One reason for the lack of business expansion to rural areas in the state, according to the newspaper, is the absence of a solid technology infrastructure, such as faster, more reliable internet access.
Richard Ryan, president of Hunter Communications and Core Digital Services, told the Tribune that while fiber-optic installation may make rural communities enticing to some businesses, more needs to be done to get companies to move there.
In June, nearly 200,000 state residents were unemployed, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Additionally, more than half of the state's counties posted jobless rates in double digits.