The Rural Broadband Boom

Federal funding combined with satellite internet is bringing high-speed broadband to rural towns that, five years ago, relied on dial-up.

Newly connected households are opening small online businesses, streaming college lectures, and accessing telehealth for the first time.

Local economies are shifting. Farm-to-door sales, remote customer support jobs, and even home-based software work are opening in counties with no job growth for decades.

The gap is not closed yet. Many tribal lands and mountain counties still lag. But the direction, after years of stagnation, is finally forward.