Wednesday, Oct 31 2012 4:27PM
Data from the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) National Broadband Map shows 16 percent of rural Americans still lack access to basic broadband services, while urban and even exurban areas have much quicker internet access and more availability.
The need for broadband in rural communities is substantial as many are behind in technology and, in turn, education, business and health.
Data from the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) National Broadband Map shows 16 percent of rural Americans still lack access to basic broadband services, while urban and even exurban areas have much quicker internet access and more availability.
Basic broadband can allow those living in these communities access to information on the web regarding education and business along. However, without service, those 16 percent may be missing out on job opportunities those living in cities may take for granted.
In terms of education, there remains a significant and growing gap between college graduation rates between rural and urban counties since 1990, widening from 9.5 to 12.6 percentage points. As more higher education institutions have moved toward curriculum over the web, students in rural communities may have a more difficult time keeping up with assigned work.
"The uses that are most important today may not be the most important in ten years," Hanns Kuttner wrote in a report for the Hudson Institute. "The cost of not having full access to information and communication technology will grow as the capacity of those technologies grows."
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The Daily Yonder