AgWired

That’s the title on a new joint website of the Federal Communications Commission and USDA Rural Development. Pretty soon we won’t see any disparity in rural vs. urban broadband accessibility.

“Broadband technology is a key driver of economic growth. The ability to share increasing amounts of information, at greater and greater speeds, increases productivity, facilitates interstate commerce, and helps drive innovation. But perhaps most important, broadband has the potential to affect almost every aspect of our lives… The United States and the Commission have a long history and tradition of making sure that rural areas of the country are connected and have the same opportunities for communications as urban areas.”

— FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin

Thanks to a heads up from Mary Ann Leonard at InfoFarm, the USDA NAL Blog. She points to some current information that shows that rural broadband is growing at a faster pace than it has and that’s certainly being fueled by the government.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, rural Americans still lag behind their urban and suburban counterparts in high-speed Internet connections. As of March 2007, just under one-third (31%) of those in rural areas have broadband connections at home (pdf), compared to 47% of the non-rural types.

The good news: the numbers for rural communities are growing at a faster pace than average. Pew data shows broadband adoption stood at 18% in 2005 and 25% in 2006, on its way to the current 31%. That last period, 2006 to 2007, translates to a 24% growth rate for rural Americans, compared to 18% for urban and 7% for suburban residents.