Getting internet access with sufficient speed to work in rural areas in the USA

While internet access broadly around the world continues to grow in adoption - rural areas in the United States remain underserved - even in greater metro areas around large cities you can find citizens without adequate access. I’m discouraged by the limited progress we’ve made but optimistic this will change in the future

Investment Increasing

Over the past 5 years, there has been an increasing amount of investment made to make rural internet more competitive. Whether it has been the presence of faster 4G LTE or 5G, or cities taking it into their own hands to build out broadband networks the options for those in rural areas on internet providers has increased. The cost still remains too high.

I’m encouraged by a few initiatives but more needs to be done:

Biden Administration Releases Rural Playbook, Launches Building A Better America Rural Infrastructure Tour to Highlight Impact of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on Rural America | The White House

Biden-Harris Administration Launches $45 Billion "Internet for All" Initiative to Bring Affordable, Reliable High-Speed Internet to Everyone in America

Starlink

The challenges remain:

• 5G won’t reach all areas
• Satellite internet is costly in poor rural areas
• Hardline fiber is cost prohibitive in many areas
• Lack of competition
• High cost per Gbps
• Internet speeds in rural areas often top out at 1-5 Mbps