Rural Broadband At A Glance, 2009 Edition

Peter L. Stenberg ; Sarah A. Low

United States Department of Agriculture

关键词: Internet;    broadband;    high-speed internet;    telemedicine;    rural;    urban;    Census data;    Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS);   

RP-ID  :  EIB-47

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

美国|英语

来源: United States Department of Agriculture Publications

【 摘 要 】

Three-quarters of U.S. residents used the Internet to access information, education, and services in 2007. Broadband Internet access is becoming essential for both businesses and households; many compare its evolution to other technologies now considered common necessities-such as cars, electricity, televisions, microwave ovens, and cell phones. Although rural residents enjoy widespread access to the Internet, they are less likely to have high-speed, or broadband, Internet access than their urban counterparts. Circumstantial evidence 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, in places like the library, school, and work, where broadband Internet access is available.