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| Brookings map |
In rural areas like Staunton, Virginia (pop. 23,746) the lack of reliable broadband internet hurts businesses and exacerbates the "economic, social and political marginalization" of the poor, the elderly, immigrants and people of color, Nicol Turner-Lee reports for the Brookings Institution. The problem is widespread: of the 55 million Americans who lack broadband access, 14 million live in rural areas.
Turner-Lee, a fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation, made Staunton the first stop on a 10-city tour in advance of her book Digitally Invisible: How the Internet is Creating the New Underclass, which explores how the lack of broadband hurts rural America and how more flexible and creative public policies and private initiatives can increase access. You can follow along on the tour on Twitter or Instagram. The book will be released in 2019.
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| Many Staunton homes need a satellite dish to stay connected. (Brookings photo by Mark Williams-Hoelscher) |
"This photo essay confirms that rural areas like Staunton are in critical need of high-speed broadband networks for economic and talent development, especially as access to technology has become the lever to avert the expected outcomes of poverty and social isolation, at least for vulnerable populations," Turner-Lee reports. But "the Federal Communications Commission, 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."
from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2CxDCdI Photo essay shows how lack of broadband hurts rural U.S. - Entrepreneur Generations
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