Broadband Access Important to Rural America
Broadband access is needed by rural America for all of the reasons it is in urban and suburban areas. Farmers and rural communities have the same basic communication needs as their non-rural counterparts.
However, there are also some needs that are unique to rural users. Agriculture has a wide range of information and data services that are essential for farmers, agribusinesses, and other rural users to be competitive and efficient in their businesses. Modern farming and the technologies associated with it are very data intensive. Broadband access is needed to ensure the ability to manage and share information about weather, soils, crop records, remote sensing imagery, and other technical information.
Reference information available through the internet is an essential part of business. Such things as parts manuals, marketing information and services, weather data and crop and pest models, and other reports and decision tools are available to those who have broadband services. Many of these require higher bandwidth and are really unusable by farmers and agribusinesses who are restricted to dial-up service.
Sharing of photos and video from the farm are important diagnostic tools to aid consultants and extension specialists in helping with field problems. In reverse, photos and video and decision tools can be downloaded or linked to the farm to provide technical training or information services to farmers. A wide range of continuing education services are available to those who have sufficient bandwidth. Those who do not have sufficient bandwidth are at a distinct disadvantage because such tools are not accessible in a practical way.
Looking ahead, more and more tools and services are being shifted to "cloud"-based delivery, again dependent on higher bandwidth availability. Rural users need to be able to access these services to stay competitive and to be a part of the global community.
The situation is improving, but many rural citizens are still left out of these modern services.
Harold F. Reetz, Jr. (Ph.D., CPAg, CCA) is an Agronomy Consultant at Reetz Agronomics, LLC. He serves as Executive Director for the International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA) and for the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) and also as a Consultant on Global Maize Project and Precision Agriculture Systems at the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI).
Rural Broadband
I agree with the article. Once upon a time the US decided that electricity and telephone were utilities that all Americans, including those in rural areas should have access. Now, cable companies are given virtual monopolies over a geographic area and do not provide access unless they can recoup their investment within 14 months. I agree, more and more information is being put on the internet that requires broadband access (cloud computing, Netflix, etc.) and rural Americans aren't being served with affordable, relaible broadband internet. iPads are nearly worthless unless you have WiFi. Even wireless printers don't work unless you have a router that is connected to a broadband connection.
It is important in my opinion
It is important in my opinion in many the urban areas, too. We should apply the same concept.
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Rural Broadband
Excellent post and one we are sharing. To learn more about what the e-Vermont Community Broadband Project is doing to reduce the digital divide in 24 pilot rural communities visit http://www.e4vt.org
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