It is one of the many rural communities across the nation on the edges of a digital divide that has been growing wider for decades.
Drivers cruise by on Interstate 80 — a busy artery that cuts across Northern California — never knowing they passed through the town of Newcastle.
While most metro areas are adopting the latest innovations in communication technology and setting the standards for connectivity, rural residents are often left with outdated options or are unable to get online in their homes and businesses. “It’s pretty well known that an internet connection these days is vital to getting a job, applying for school, even kids who are trying to do their homework and they need to do a lot of research,” said Victoria Smith, a staff researcher at SatelliteInternet.com, which compiled the speed tests into a report.
She enjoys slow life in a small town and hopes it stays that way, even though her chosen trade of brick-and-mortar shopkeep has fallen victim to the very technology many in the town eschew. “I see there are no cinnamon buns,” an older man says at the counter raising an eyebrow. Hendrickson pauses from the latte he is making and with a laugh promises to pass the message along to his sister, who makes the baking decisions.
The issue stems from both financial disinterest on the part of providers, who don't invest in the infrastructure when homes and businesses are remote and built on rugged terrain.Federal agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission and the USDA, have made connectivity a priority, and state and local governments are also coalescing with new plans to bridge the gap.
“At the end of the day, broadband provides countless opportunities whether it is professional, economic, social, political, educational, health care — the list goes on and on,” Preston Wise, special counsel at the FCC said, adding that the agency wants to ensure young people can move back or remain in rural America without sacrificing opportunities. “Giving Americans these options and putting everyone in the country on the same level is of such critical importance.
Some communities want to expand access, but not through investments from federal agencies or big telecom companies.
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