Rural America needs broadband Internet access

I’ve been traveling this past week, visiting some dear friends in America’s heartland near the confluence of the mighty Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. As I tour southern Illinois, I’m struck by the history of that mystical area, from the infamous Cave-in-Rock to the life of Samuel Clemens my favorite American author.

Where’s my high speed connection?

As the consummate “needing to be connected” geek, I was also paying attention to where I could find adequate Internet access. I thought I had all contingencies (WiFi, iPhone, and data card) covered, as I was headed deep into the “digital divide”. Little did I know the only option on some occasions would be an analog wired connection.

I started mulling this over as I listened to the once-familiar handshake tones of my modem. I knew the digital divide existed. Yet experiencing it first-hand is a real eye opener, especially to an urban dweller, who’s used to having high-speed access anytime anywhere.

It’s a real problem

I talked to the gentleman that I was visiting about this and his frustration was evident. He lives only a few blocks away from the downtown area of a small town (population 0f 5000) and their only choices of Internet access are dial up and satellite Internet.

Smarter people than me have been expounding about why the digital divide exists, so I won’t go into that. What I’m wondering, is what’s being done about it? My inconvenience only lasted for a week. What about the people that live there?

Why it’s important

Take a second and honestly determine how your day would be different if you only had a dial-up connection. How would it affect your life, your family, and may be even your work? The following excerpt from a University of Maryland report may help:

“One of the main issues with the digital divide is that not only does it hinder individuals from certain underprivileged groups from succeeding, but it can even make the situation for certain groups and even entire classes even worse.

In fact, many fear that the failure to address the gap will likely aggravate current levels of poverty and isolation and increase the already large gaps in education and access to opportunity between historically privileged and historically disenfranchised groups”

In my technical way of dealing with things I liken the digital divide to a massive ripple effect if left unchecked will ultimately reach all of us.

How the Internet would help

My friend further explained that rolling out adequate Internet access in rural areas would reverse the ripple effect. Could it be that simple? Improving everyone’s situation, not just those immediately affected. Here are two examples of how he felt high speed access could help reverse the trend:

• Improved financials: In rural areas known to have limited employment opportunities, people could use high-speed access to make or enhance their livelihood through on-line business opportunities.
• Improved education: My son just graduated from university and I know for a fact that he would have been hard pressed to accomplish what he did with only a dial-up connection. I submit that allowing kids dealing with the digital divide an identical opportunity is paramount to the health of our country?

Final thoughts

I’m just as guilty as the next, when it comes to not understanding the scope of the digital divide problem. I do know that there’s all sorts of talk about stimulating the economy and making sure our kids are getting the best education possible. I see removing the digital divide as one method of accomplishing both. Besides investing in people seems like a pretty idea to me.