Why Broadband Matters
www.ConnectingCommunities.info
Broadband
Diffusion and Adoption
• International
• National
• State
• Rural
Broadband Penetration/
100 Inhabitants (ITU)
• US Broadband penetration/100 inhabitants
• 2005 – 16th
• 2002 – 11th
• Canada
• 2005 – 5th
• 2002 – 3rd
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
eCommerce
Entertainment
eGov 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.ConnectingCommunities.info
Connecting Rural Communities
Southern Rural Development Center