News

High-speed Internet critical for rural areas, official says

Federal regulations must make sure rural areas have high-speed Internet service because it is essential for economic development, Federal Communications Commission member Jonathan Adelstein said Tuesday.

Adelstein, a South Dakota native, told the South Dakota Association of Telephone Cooperatives that rural America cannot afford to fall behind urban areas and other nations in providing high-speed Internet access. The effort must include the continued use of a subsidy to support telecommunications service in rural areas where costs are high because customers are spread out, he said.

High-speed Internet service, frequently called broadband, is essential for business development and emergency services, Adelstein told officials of the dozen member-owned cooperatives that provide telephone service mostly in sparsely populated parts of the state.

”We need to make sure every area of the country is as plugged in as anywhere else,” he said.

By CHET BROKAW – Associated Press Writer

Full Story: http://helenair.com/articles/2005/08/24/montana/a06082405_01.txt

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.