Rural Internet Connectivity

The following is an abstract from a paper that was presented by Dr. Sharon Strover at the Telecommunications Research and Policy Conference in September 1999.

This research investigates Internet connectivity in rural regions of four states. Access to the Internet has assumed new significance for commercial and political reasons. Even as E-rate provisions bring Internet connectivity into the universal service fold for certain institutions, more general Internet access to a broader community constituency seems to have consequences for regional economic development. However, the deployment of the types of networks and points of presence that can deliver toll-free Internet favors urban regions. This research examines Internet service providers' operations in rural portions of Texas, Iowa, Louisiana and West Virginia in order to determine the disparity between urban and rural regions for Internet access and the factors that influence ISPs' operations in rural areas. The significance of state Extended Local Calling plans also is examined insofar as this mechanism can reduce the calling penalty associated with ISP access for some rural areas.