Wednesday, May 25 2011 8:37AM
Broadband connection is needed in rural communities across the country.
To effectively take part in commerce today, members of the Federal Communications Commission reportedly told Congress sufficient access to strong internet connection is a necessity, which is why the agency advocated for the expansion of broadband to rural communities currently without the connection nationwide.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, stated having sufficient broadband connections is essential to inclusion in the business world and the economic development of communities today, meaning that rural areas should have access to the internet connection.
"The problems keep getting worse and the challenges keep getting greater ... and the digital divide isn't shrinking," he told the newspaper. "It's gotten to the point where more and more people across the country, including rural America, realize that [broadband] is not a luxury, it's a necessity."
One area which has received help from the federal government to get broadband connections is southwest Alaska. The Bristol Bay Times reports a multi-million dollar federal grant will help the area build land lines for broadband access.