5 Stats About Rural Broadband That Show Why the RDOF is Important
One of the benefits of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) is revealing how critical the problem of high-speed internet access is in rural areas. With Phase I fully on its way, the Federal Communications Commission vows to drastically improve this issue with the RDOF.
So let’s take a look at 5 shocking statistics about broadband access in rural America in order to show just how significant RDOF’s contributions are going to be.
Rural Broadband Statistic 1
According to data from the Federal Communications Commission, 39% of residents living in rural communities across the United States do not have access to high-speed broadband. This is a big problem, especially when internet access is now considered more as a right rather than a luxury. To have more than a third of all rural residents denied high-speed broadband is a detriment not only to their livelihoods but to the development of rural areas as a whole.
Rural Broadband Statistic 2
According to BroadbandNow, an independent research firm that studies broadband access in the United States, 146 million people in the U.S. do not have access to a low-priced plan for residential wired broadband. This is harmful because it reflects how underserved areas have many options available, meaning they are forced to pay exorbitant premiums on the few packages that are offered by service providers, all to get poor internet connection in return.
Rural Broadband Statistic 3
According to Pew Research Center, a think tank, 1 in 4 rural residents say access to high-speed internet is a major problem. Nowadays, it’s impossible to carry on a regular work life without a high-speed connection available, whether it’s streaming videos, uploading documents, or holding virtual meetings. And consider the cost of it to other everyday activities, such as entertainment, watching the news, and staying connected with friends and family online.
Rural Broadband Statistic 4
The 2017 U.S. Congress’ America’s Digital Divide Report states that 12 million school-aged kids in remote and rural areas can’t access the internet at home. This is unthinkable, particularly now when the pandemic has put more importance on virtual learning. Lacking access to the internet is now practically a problem that leads to lacking access to proper education. Demonstrating this, educators, parents, and students are all calling for reforms and expansion of broadband networks in rural areas.
Rural Broadband Statistic 5
According to the FCC’s latest broadband progress report, more than five million people in 2.2 million households have access to no internet service provider. Moreover, more than two-thirds of these unserved households are in rural areas. To have millions without adequate access to an internet service provider is absolutely unacceptable, as rural development across the United States will stall as a result.