Three-quarters of U.S. residents used the Internet to access information, education, and services in 2007, reports the 2009 USDA Rural Broadband At A Glance Report
Internet use is lower for individuals in rural areas (71 percent) than in urban areas (77 percent). Overall, household Internet activity is lower than individual activity. Currently, 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, says the report (pdf).
Throughout this decade, broadband access has increased, but is less likely to be found in rural areas. Today, clusters of lower service exist in sparsely populated areas, such as the Dakotas, eastern Montana, northern Minnesota, and eastern Oregon. Other low-service areas have an aging population and are experiencing persistent population loss (e.g., the Missouri-Iowa border
and Appalachia).
The Universal Service Program, established by the 1996 Telecommunications Act, funded broadband Internet access for medical facilities and elementary and secondary schools. It increased availability and, in some cases, encouraged more competitive pricing.
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The 2008 Farm Bill (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008) reauthorized USDA’s telemedicine and distance learning and rural broadband access grant and loan programs.
The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $2.5 billion to USDA for loans and grants to increase broadband provision in primarily rural areas.
The maps (above) have been submitted on a state-by-state and carrier-by-carrier basis to the Universal Service Fund administrator. Click on a state to see what areas lack coverage. Dial-up is often the only access method in rural areas.
Only 9 percent of Americans were still using dial-up in a study last year by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. AOL, which once had almost 27 million U.S. subscribers, today has only 6.9 million.
But the recession appears to have stimulated the growth of dial-up. Slow may be the new fast.
United Online offers dial-up through its NetZero and Juno services for $9.95 a month.
Now EarthLink has rolled out a dial-up offer of $7.95 per month, undercutting competitors by $2, reports the AP. EarthLink’s subsidiary, PeoplePC, announced their “Connect for Less,” program in February. It provides dialup for $7.95 a month, or about 25 cents a day.
