Rural and Urban Broadband Development 

As bandwidth availability increases in urban markets, the digital divide grows between urban and rural areas. Thirty nine percent of rural Americans — roughly 23 million people — don’t have access to broadband services according to FCC reports. By comparison, just four percent of Americans in urban areas lack access to high-speed Internet. In addition to rural locations often not having high-speed broadband packages, there is a lack of competition and choice. Majority of consumers in rural areas only have one choice. Lack of choice allows for higher prices and subpar support. In summary, rural consumers often pay more for less bandwidth without a great support system. These market trends place rural residents, educational institutions, businesses, government agencies, retail establishments, and everything in between at a huge disadvantage.