The Digital Divide Continues to Plague Rural Communities
Access to high-speed internet, often taken for granted by those in American urban or suburban communities, is not as much of a given in the rural communities of this country. Nearly a quarter of adults in rural communities have said access to broadband is a major problem for them, and this disproportionately affects adults of color in these areas compared to their white neighbors ( 31% vs 21%). In our current culture of online shopping and remote work, not having any way of connecting to the internet presents an enormous issue for small businesses in rural communities. Everything from advertising to hiring to work meetings can be exponentially harder for small business owners without wiring from broadband services. This means less growth for their business while capital continues to flow towards areas of high population with better internet access, expanding the wealth gap even further between urban and rural communities. In order to combat this, it is the responsibility of the broadband services to invest in the infrastructure which would allow rural business communities to thrive and expand.
This year, the Biden-Harris administration has teamed with a number of federal agencies to invest in the growth of small businesses and disadvantaged communities which have been majorly affected by low broadband access. The U.S. Department of Agriculture put nearly $6 billion towards projects on historically underserved areas over the course of 2022, including a focus on high-speed internet access. Similarly, the Federal Communications Commission committed $1.2 billion to specifically increasing broadband access to disadvantaged communities for the purpose of helping small minority owned businesses. With 17% of small businesses in rural communities and rural communities accounting for 97% of the country, this kind of investment will greatly increase opportunities for small businesses. Faster internet means more opportunities for commerce, greater advertising ability, and an increase in time to spend on other aspects of your business.
Internet access has become a crucial part of running a business, and it is not always a given pending on where you live in the country. Helping disadvantaged areas gain access to broadband will bolster the small business community, increasing opportunities for commerce and interconnectedness between rural and urban small business owners.
