The technology challenge for a rural community is closing the gap between the digital infrastructure that is profitable for commercial providers but serves only part of the community and the infrastructure necessary to serve all community members. Local leaders, driven by a clear, aspirational vision of their community’s future, can proactively address this gap.

Hundreds of electric co-ops are considering deployment of residential or business broadband – and almost all want to use fiber.

To deliver broadband cost-effectively, a community’s best option may be to partner with the incumbent telephone company.

For rural communities struggling to connect to the internet, working together at any point in the process can yield benefits. 

Only fiber to the premises can support the new knowledge economy.

The RUS has new funds to spend on connecting unserved areas. But how can applicants prove an area is unserved?

Auction winners will likely serve between 200,000 and 400,000 rural households and businesses – at best, about 40 percent of those eligible.

Communities need to take all the costs and benefits into account – and if the answer is “yes,” they need to revisit the question every few years.

Regulations for spending the $600 million appropriated in March for rural broadband will be slow in coming. Here’s why.

Highlights of the 2018 Broadband Communities Summit held in May in Austin, Texas

If you’re wondering which rural broadband funding programs to apply for – or which will solve the rural broadband problem – here’s a brief primer.

The Broadband Communities Summit brings together participants in the multifamily, rural, economic development, technology and policy worlds. This issue of the magazine has something for all of them.

Springtime was especially good to rural broadband hopefuls, with new money and potentially more flexible ways of disbursement.

The evolution of technology is enabling cable companies to transition gradually to all-fiber networks.

Technology, economics and political change are driving a very special Broadband Communities Summit this year.