U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture: Rural Broadband At A Glance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently published an interesting six-page (short!) report titled Rural Broadband At A Glance . The report draws on research done by the Dept of Agriculture's Economic Research Service , the Federal Communication Commission and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Rural Internet is investigated and indicates rural residents are less likely to have high-speed, or broadband, Internet access than their urban counterparts. The main limitation of slower, dial-up Internet access is that many content-dense applications and documents, and such critical services as anti-virus protections, are not readily usable via dial-up due to low transmission capability and speed.

Circumstantial evidence in the report suggests that the difference in access may lie in the higher cost and limited availability of broadband Internet in rural areas. As a result, rural residents depend more on Internet use outside of the home, relying on places like the library, school, and work, where broadband Internet access is available.

Here's some selected report stats:

• Internet use is lower for individuals in rural areas (71 percent) than in urban areas (77 percent).
• In 2007, 63 percent of all rural households had at least one member access the Internet, at home or elsewhere, compared with 73 percent of urban households.
• Fifty-two percent of all rural households had in-home Internet access compared with 64 percent of urban households.
• In 2005, 30 percent of farmers were using the Internet for farm business; 2 years later, use had increased to 63 percent. As Internet adoption increases, the need for high-speed Internet also rises as online purchasing and marketing become the norm.

The report summarizes that rural communities have not been left out of the ever-changing information economy, although issues of equal access exist. Evidence suggests that the difference in access may lie in the higher cost or limited availability of broadband Internet in rural areas. The report indicates more information is needed, saying data on broadband use in households and businesses and its cost are needed to better address this issue.

You can download and read the full report PDF here.