
Tell Congress To Take A Stand On Rural Broadband
Learn More About The FCC's CBRS RulesOver 31 percent of rural Americans do not have access to broadband at home -- a staggering amount when compared to the four percent of urban Americans who can’t get access.
Millions of hard-working Americans aren’t able to participate in and grow the digital economy, just as millions aren’t able to enjoy many of the conveniences of modern life. Too many American children are unable to adequately complete their homework. Closing the rural digital divide is imperative. The failure to get rural internet connections up-to-speed, Americans who live in these areas do not have access to digital services that most Americans rely on, whether it’s checking Doppler weather radar, applying for government programs, or accessing employment and educational opportunities.
Policymakers should begin to address the rural digital divide in the following ways:
Public Knowledge believes in a level playing field for all Americans everywhere, a field on which there are no obstacles to the websites, products, and services we all want and need. We are fighting for full, affordable service to all Americans.
In 2018 we spearheaded the Principles to Connect Rural America, a foundational document for crafting new solutions to close the rural digital divide. These principles focus on practical solutions to encourage build-out by broadband providers, address barriers like affordability, and ensure high-speed and reliable connections to the internet.
Additionally, we released a fact sheet on Rural Broadband Access and Communities of Color. Fifteen percent of rural Americans are people of color. Research shows that in some states there is double and triple that number of people of color in rural areas, and that 27 percent of people of color who live in rural America do not have access to the internet at home. Our failure to acknowledge this diversity has the potential to create serious gaps in our policy solutions which leaves people of color in rural communities behind. Public Knowledge is working to shed light on racial discrimination in the fight for rural broadband access.
Communications Justice Fellow
alisa@publicknowledge.org
(202) 861-0020
Senior Vice President
hfeld@publicknowledge.org
(202) 861-0020 x110
Vice President
clewis@publicknowledge.org
(202) 861-0020 x116
Policy Fellow
jane@publicknowledge.org
Policy Fellow
lindsay@publicknowledge.org
Senior Policy Counsel
phillip@publicknowledge.org
(202) 861-0020 x104
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