Rural Broadband Woes Call For Private-sector Innovation

The recent announcement of forthcoming widespread availability of 5G connectivity around the nation spawned excitement among consumers but a lot of angst in rural America, where broadband infrastructure is woefully lacking in many areas. Despite almost $50 billion in investment in the eight years preceding 2017, rural broadband development has been slow and is expected to stay that way for some time, especially given the investment required for transmission equipment for faster connectivity. It’s a call for the private sector’s involvement; can companies like SpaceX and Starlink help develop rural high-speed internet infrastructure? See more on this hot topic.