Rural communities deserve broadband access

The people lucky enough to live in Montana’s rural communities know that a few sacrifices come with the territory. But that’s not to say that rural Montanans should be expected to miss out on certain opportunities just because they’ve chosen not to live in an urban center.

Access to education and healthcare, for instance, are essential services that all Montanans deserve equally.

But today there is a rural-urban gap growing, and if it’s not addressed, rural Montanans are going to be left behind. Specifically I’m referring to what is called the “digital divide,” the problem whereby rural Americans do not have access to high-speed Internet.

Montana is one of the poorest states in terms of Internet connectivity, according to data compiled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Ninety-two percent of Montanans who live in urban areas have access to high-speed Internet; however, that figure for rural Montanans is only fifty-nine percent. In other words, two out of five rural Montanans do not yet have broadband access.

This is a big problem. Technology is changing in ways that we’re only beginning to imagine, and the people with access to that technology are at a distinct advantage.

Today, schoolchildren are expected to complete more of their coursework via online resources, many of which today require a high-speed connection. Moreover, the economy they will enter in the next decade will require them to be fluent with technology. To be able to compete, they need to grow up exposed to that ecosystem.

We can already see the economic consequences of not being connected. For instance, farming technology has made huge strides in the last few years. Precision farming technology using remote sensors and big-data analysis allows for significant efficiency improvements for fertilizer and irrigation. But this is only possible in areas where broadband connectivity exists.

Healthcare is another area that is changing rapidly due to technological improvements. Today medical consultations are possible online, which could lead to significant improvements in health outcomes for rural patients who would otherwise face long drives to access healthcare. But remote consultations are only possible with broadband connections.

I could go on and on with other examples of how technology is changing our lives, but you get the picture. The point is many of these things are only possible with access to high-speed Internet. And now is the time for us to address the digital divide so we do not leave anybody behind.

So, how do we fix this problem? Already, Montana’s rural Internet providers have invested heavily in building out fiber optic networks to serve more customers. Fiber optic networks are the gold-standard for high-speed Internet access, but they are expensive to build. To reach more people, other technologies are necessary to complement fiber optics.

One of the most promising new broadband technologies is called TV White Spaces, which is a method of delivering broadband Internet over unutilized television spectrum. TV White Spaces have an advantage over other over-the-airwaves broadband technologies in that it can reach further and is not encumbered by terrestrial artifacts, like hills and trees.

TV White Spaces appear to be a natural compliment to fiber optic networks. However, Internet providers are not yet allowed to offer this service because the FCC has not finalized rules for White Spaces.

It’s time for the FCC to act and approve White Spaces. This is one of the most significant moves that policy-makers can make in order to address the digital divide.

Rural Montanans knowingly make certain tradeoffs to enjoy a high qualify of life. Sacrificing educational, healthcare, and economic opportunities shouldn’t be among them.

Sen. Roger Webb represents Senate District 23 in the Montana State Legislature. He resides in Billings.