Many factors can be blamed for this, the economy being a big one. Households in the vast rural America are three times more likely to lack internet than those in the urban centers.
By 2022, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Mississippi states had the largest number of households without internet coverage.
But there are still other states where low income households do not have access to internet, in urban as well as rural areas.
With the internet bringing so many opportunities, families that lack proper connection are missing out on a lot.
They are missing out on telehealth, remote work, entertainment and social connections.
But the good thing is that soon, slow internet or lack of the same thereof might be a thing of the past.
Let’s see how ISPs are planning on providing expanded coverage, to eliminate the problem of poor internet connectivity in all parts of the USA.
No wired broadband internet lines
In the vast spaces of rural America are the people who need to be connected to broadband internet.
They are cut off from many services because of the lack of cabled broadband internet lines.
Thus, many of them live with an erratic internet connection that still costs a fortune every month.
Because running broadband services is costly, internet service providers look at the ROI that they will get after investing in various places.
In sparsely populated areas, the return on investment is not high enough. That is why ISPs concentrate their services in areas with dense populations.
The cost vs. the ROI is the main reason why people living in the American “Outback” are yet to get fast internet.
But things are looking up slowly.
ISPs are working with state governments
The cost implications for taking wired broadband internet to remote areas are very high. Internet providers have to partner with different parties such as:
- State governments
- Utility companies
- Local authorities
- Financial institutions
- Other organizations
At the state level, the government is forming councils and task forces for broadband expansion. For instance, Governor Andy Beshear’s Better Kentucky Plan includes a comprehensive internet plan.
Called the Kentucky Better Internet Initiative, the government has set up a $600 million fund, which is specifically for the expansion of high speed internet coverage.
Better policy framework
It is not within the power of internet providers to make the policy framework that controls the expansion of high speed internet.
However, internet companies can work with other parties over this matter, and one of these parties is the state government.
State governments are expected to lay out a proper framework guiding the expansion of high speed internet to the most under-covered areas in their states.
Their policies define the goals and the timelines within which to achieve those goals. They also identify the possible barriers and ways to overcome them.
When an internet service provider comes in at such a stage, they can then find everything set out for them, and the priority areas mapped out.
The priority areas in rural areas are different from those in urban areas. State governments usually identify the priority areas as:
- Agriculture
- Health care
- Transport
- Education
- Economic development
Working with utility companies
Utility companies have established infrastructures even in the remotest rural areas.
Partnering with these companies can enable internet providers to bring wired broadband internet to the people.
In 2005, the New York Times ran an article on power companies attempting to enter the race to provide high speed internet.
They intended to use a broadband-over-powerline kind of structure. The plan was to use the existing infrastructure to take internet to every home with electricity.
So, no matter how remotely situated a home is, if it has electricity, it is possible to take internet to that house. There will be no need to lay new cable work in the ground.
It is widely agreed that using investor-owned utilities is one of the best options for internet providers.
These are publicly traded power companies. Usually, they have more funds, and they can build their infrastructures deeper into the country.
They could arguably be one of the best bets for taking high speed internet to rural areas.
Using wireless technology: Options
That is why today, in 2023, millions of people in the USA still can’t access high speed internet.
To reach more people with high speed internet, ISPs are also considering wireless options These options include:
1. Satellite broadband
This type of internet connection can be costlier than wired broadband internet. It can also be a bit slow because it is affected by weather and other factors.
Therefore, it is more useful for people who don’t have the option of wired broadband internet.
To use satellite broadband internet like Elon Musk’s Starlink service, you would need a modem connected to a received dish that’s mounted on your roof.
2. White space signals
White space internet rides on a radio frequency range commonly used for television. White space is the unused spectrum between TV stations which can be harnessed to deliver a connection to the web.
The main benefit of using this method is the low latency and the ability to use the signal over a long distance without being affected by obstacles such as buildings, mountains, and others.
3. RF connection
This is a good option for remote rural areas that don’t have cabled internet. However, it requires that you be within a certain radius of the service tower. You will need an antenna to be hooked up to RF internet.
4. Mobile wireless
Where everything else fails, if there is a mobile signal, you can use data bundles. This is limited by many factors, but it is an option for places where all the other solutions are not available.
You can choose high speed internet by buying the appropriate data bundle for that. You also have to select a good spot to access high speed internet.
Some cellular carriers have more coverage than others, so be sure to compare your options before buying one.
Conclusion
There is still a big chunk of rural America that lacks high speed internet coverage. This is both a problem of coverage and affordability. After all, there are many low-income households in urban settings without access to fast internet too.
High speed internet connection can open up job opportunities, increase health care access, open up education, entertainment, banking and other opportunities.
This is why the federal and state governments are funding programs to roll out more infrastructure for high speed internet in remote and unconnected places.