Why Broadband Matters www Connecting Communities info Broadband

Why Broadband Matters www. Connecting. Communities. info

Broadband Diffusion and Adoption • International • National • State • Rural

Broadband Penetration/ 100 Inhabitants (ITU) • US Broadband penetration/100 inhabitants • 2005 – 16 th • 2002 – 11 th • Canada • 2005 – 5 th • 2002 – 3 rd US is falling behind Potential loss of $1 trillion in economic productivity and more than 1. 2 million jobs over next decade -Brookings Institution

2005 e-Readiness Rankings Denmark US Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Hong Kong Finland Netherlands Norway Australia 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 10 Economist Intelligence Unit www. eic. com

Pew/Internet – February 2006

Consumer Broadband There is a divide – It matters • Unavailable in some communities • Bandwidth limits applications • • • Education/training Tele work Telemedicine e. Commerce Entertainment e. Gov services • Brain Drain • Economic development

Commercial Broadband Business, schools, government, etc. • Higher service level requirements (99. 99999%) • BIG Pipes • Dedicated connections • Higher cost in rural vs. urban/suburban areas • Limited providers in rural areas

Commercial Broadband Matters • Global economy driven by broadband • Businesses less likely to locate or grow without broadband • Geographic penalty • Rural business, governments, schools, hospitals pay more than urban and suburban counterparts

Connecting Rural Communities www. Connecting. Communities. info Connecting Rural Communities Southern Rural Development Center