Welcome to Rural Broadband Outreach

More than 25 million people in United States live in a home without broadband internet. Of those 76% (more than 19 million)reside in rural communities. Because of this digital divide, Americans who live in these underserved rural communities are unable to fully participate in digital activities amenities such as online study tools, virtual marketplaces, applying for employment opportunities, and accessing data on government programs. Adding to those issues, businesses are less likely to establish in areas with poor broadband connectivity thereby reducing  employment growth in these areas.

The Federal Communications Commission estimates that more than 21 million people in the United States don’t have that connection. That includes nearly 3 in 10 people—27 percent—who live in such rural places as the outreaches of Maine and the fertile fields of Indiana, as well as 2 percent of those living in cities

 “Kids can’t do homework. Older people have to drive off our islands to talk to a doctor. Boats delivering live lobsters from the ocean that can’t ‘talk’ in real time to their customers lose a competitive edge in the supply chain. Before long, young families, older citizens, and jobs leave. New employers don’t come in.” 

  Broadband access has been made more critical by COVID-19. As more than 93% of school age children in the United States have experienced some form of remote learning since the pandemic began, reliable broadband access has become a key to quality education. Even pre-COVID, 70% of teachers assigned homework requiring a broadband connection while more than 6.5 million students had no access. This trend could result in rural and low-income students at a distinct disadvantage when compared to suburban and urban students.

Cost is the primary barrier for most communities in rural areas getting broadband internet. The services are available but due to lack of competition the cost of getting broadband to homes in rural areas is not feasible.

Regulations are the second largest cause of the divide both lack of and those in place from a different era that are prohibitive to the development of network infrastructure.

  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees the deployment of broadband nationwide, reports that it would cost $40 billion to bring broadband access to 98 percent of the country. Expanding broadband access to rural areas would be even more expensive, given the vast topography and far proximity from telecommunications facilities.