Encompassing 97% of North America’s landmass, rural areas house 19.3% percent of the United States population, though this is close to 60 million people, these areas are struggling to find connectivity.
For areas in rural America, the idea of stronger internet connectivity and fiber connections feels like an unattainable goal. These counties, cities, and states are still working toward the incorporation of broadband-based connections. For example, in Letcher County Kentucky, where the county’s chairman of the Letcher County Broadband Board, Harry Collins, viewed the concept of fiber optic integration as “… the next economic revolution for coal towns.”
In Reno County, Kansas, local citizens took the responsibility for gaining fiber optic upon themselves. Nate Oswald, a local citizen, had twenty-four (24) of his neighbors commit to a contract so the area was able to ascertain a fiber connection. However, this situation begs the question of how many people have to sign or commit to a company before they are able to have a fiber optic connection in their area?
This problem is exactly what fiber optic providers are trying to amend. For example, in Reno County,63% of the population has no broadband connectivity; therefore, fiber providers are rushing to solve the problem before a gap appears in the American marketing place for telecom industries.
Labeled the “fastest and best” broadband connection on the market, fiber optic connectivity is at the forefront of telecom and internet industries. In an interview with GovTech Online, Cox Communications stated their plans to integrate fiber optics in rural communities by early 2019.
However, the work to have fiber optic connectivity in rural areas is not over. If your company is interested in helping lesser served areas receive connectivity, click HERE and let GeoTel help.
