Broadband
Broadband is not a luxury; it's a necessity. Affordable broadband is a building block for healthy communities. But less than half of rural adults have access to broadband at home, while two-thirds of metropolitan adults do As the Internet becomes crucial in economics, education, and civic life , communities that are left behind pay a higher price for their lack of access. The Center for Rural Strategies supports policies and programs that expand access to broadband for all Americans, especially those who are marginalized by geography, economics, and other circumstances. Affordable access and widespread training will help rural communities thrive and contribute to the nation's health and wellbeing.
News
Midwest Rural Assembly addresses broadband
Broadband access was on the agenda at the Midwest Rural Assembly on August 11-12, 2009, in Sioux City, South Dakota. One break out session was "Broadband and Rural Communities: Creating a Healthy Digital Ecology and a Community Vision for Federal Funding." Edyael Casaperalta, Rural Strategies' broadband policy organizer, served as a panelist for that session. Other Rural Strategies staff who attended the regional assembly were Whitney Kimball Coe and Shawn Poynter. The Midwest Rural Assembly was produced by leaders within the region and was sponsored in part by the National Rural Assembly. Organizers included the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, the Rural Learning Center, and more than 20 other organizations.
A new generation of wireless networks
One of the most promising new developments for rural broadband is the use of vacant television channel spectrum to distribute digital information such as high-speed Internet.