The Struggles of Reliable Internet in Rural Communities

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by David Idle, CPO at Bigleaf Networks

Reliable internet access has become an essential component of modern life, powering businesses, education, and healthcare. Unfortunately, a significant gap continues between urban and rural communities in the United States.

Today, many rural Americans still don’t have access to high-speed internet, unlike most people in urban areas. This gap impacts millions, making it harder for them to find economic opportunities, advance their education, and access essential services.

While urban areas have largely embraced the digital age, rural communities continue to face significant barriers to internet access. A clear digital divide remains, with rural residents facing limited connectivity, slower speeds, and higher costs compared to their urban counterparts.

The Infrastructure Challenge

Infrastructure is a key factor contributing to the internet access inequality across urban and rural locations. Constructing broadband infrastructure in rural locations incurs much higher costs due to the dispersed layout of rural homes.

Each unit of fiber optic cable, cellular tower, or satellite technology must extend its coverage across a larger area in order to serve a smaller number of potential consumers, resulting in reduced profitability for Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Frequently, these Internet Service Providers require financial assistance from federal and state governments to implement high-speed internet access in these regions.

Furthermore, even when broadband is available, rural residents are less likely to subscribe to these services. Several factors contribute to this, including:

• Income Disparity: Rural locations typically have lower median earnings and higher poverty rates, which results in broadband being a less financially viable option.
• Aging Population: The aging population in rural areas faces difficulties in transitioning to residences that are better equipped to meet their modern connectivity demands due to a lack of suitable housing options.
• Limited Awareness and Digital Literacy: This gap often results in limited familiarity with digital technologies and their advantages, leading to reduced interest in broadband services.

The Federal Investment

In response to these challenges, the federal government has implemented measures such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and worth $42.45 billion. The objective of this program is to improve the availability of high-speed internet in outlying areas, ensuring that every community is included in the effort to bridge the gap in digital access.

Expanding broadband availability may dramatically improve the standards of life among people living in remote areas. Here are several significant advantages:

• Economic Opportunities: Better connectivity can attract businesses and remote workers, boosting local economies.
• Educational Advancement: Students in rural areas can access online resources and remote learning opportunities, leveling the educational playing field.
• Healthcare Access: Telehealth services become more viable, providing essential healthcare access to remote and aging populations.
• Social Connectivity: Improved broadband allows for better social interaction and community engagement, reducing the isolation often felt in rural areas.

Current State of Rural Broadband

According to data released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the percentage of rural homes with a broadband connection is only 61.9%, whereas non-rural households have a higher percentage of 77.6%. Surprisingly, a staggering 2.7 million homes in rural areas lack any form of internet connectivity. Research indicates that individuals residing in remote areas who do not have access to broadband internet are more likely to have a lower income and live in homes belonging to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

Despite the promise of 5G technology, its implementation in rural areas presents major hurdles. Service providers face economic challenges in investing in regions because of the expensive nature of infrastructure and the requirement for dense networks of small cells. Without significant investment and strategic planning, the implementation of 5G in rural areas is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The digital divide, which refers to the gap between those with easy access to digital technologies like high-speed internet and those without, persists. 5G has the potential to narrow this gap by providing better connectivity in underserved regions..

Bridging the Digital Divide

The digital divide between urban and rural America presents a significant challenge to equitable economic development and social progress. While urban areas have made substantial strides in broadband infrastructure, rural communities continue to face limited access to high-speed internet.

This disparity has far-reaching consequences, hindering economic growth, education, healthcare, and overall quality of life for millions of Americans. Addressing this issue requires a concerted effort from policymakers, industry leaders, and community stakeholders.

It’s time to bridge the digital divide and ensure that all Americans have access to the opportunities afforded by the digital age.

About the author

David Idle joined Bigleaf from Verizon, where he was the Chief Product Officer and Executive Director for SMB, managing the commercialization of 4G and 5G technologies in the small business and mid-market segments. In a dual role, Dave was also general manager of Yahoo Small Business until its sale in 2021. Dave previously held leadership positions at Web.com, XO Communications, and Sprint, where he drove profitable revenue growth through the development of new products and sales strategies.

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