Connecting Rural America Through Fixed Wireless Technology
In places where there are more livestock than people and where miles of land separate one household from the next, finding an internet connection can sometimes be challenging. The length of time it would take and the amount it would cost to build a fiber network in certain remote regions can make it nearly impossible to bring high-speed fiber connections to rural areas. But America's internet service providers have been working towards innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide. Some of NCTA's members have begun to explore fixed wireless connectivity as an option to connect customers in
Reaching the Last Mile: Hearing on Rural Broadband Examines Solutions to Closing the Digital Divide
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives holds an important hearing to discuss the challenges and benefits of rolling out broadband to rural regions across the country in order to reach communities that are currently affected by the digital divide. We applaud members of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology for opening up a dialogue that brings to the table innovative broadband solutions and approaches to connect more Americans. As we have seen, high-speed and reliable connectivity is the key to improving a community's economic vitality, education, healthcare, and growth, and rural
Midco Levels the Playing Field for Rural Schools
Stretched along and bordering the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota is the Meade School District, the largest school district in the state, geographically speaking. Spread out over 3,000-plus miles, a district that is this remote has had its fair share of connectivity challenges. Jeff Ward, the district's curriculum and technology director, said that its recent partnership with Midco—which provides internet, phone and cable TV services for communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kansas—has helped level the playing field for their schools. Students now enjoy
New Report Highlights the Important Role Connectivity Plays in Rural America
President Trump was in Nashville, Tennessee this afternoon along with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue speaking to over 4500 farmers at the American Farm Bureau conference. There he announced the release of the Administration’s ‘Rural Prosperity Report’ that takes a fresh look at ways the federal government can support agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security, and quality of life in rural America. The report specifically calls out the role broadband plays in enabling increased productivity for farms, factories
Sjoberg's: How a Small Internet Provider is Transforming Rural Minnesota
If you took a road trip out through rural Minnesota, you probably wouldn’t expect much could be going on in the tiny, wood-surrounded homes in the distance, or in the small farmhouses with the quartermile driveways. But as Dick Sjoberg knows, this is far from the truth. As the president of Sjoberg’s, the small, family-owned, internet, TV and phone provider serving northwestern Minnesota, Mr. Sjoberg has seen a lot in the business over the past several decades. Sjoberg’s customers come from communities with an average population size of 1,000, but some have no more than 50 people. Just like
