{"id":16901,"date":"2017-12-20T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T12:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=16901"},"modified":"2017-12-19T17:49:31","modified_gmt":"2017-12-19T22:49:31","slug":"rural-communities-need-internet-access-and-rural-electric-co-ops-are-providing-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2017\/12\/20\/rural-communities-need-internet-access-and-rural-electric-co-ops-are-providing-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Rural communities need internet access, and rural electric co-ops are providing it"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>When I stop for a quick bite back home in rural North Carolina, I know the restaurant crowd is not always an indication of how great the food is. Often people are there for the free internet connectivity because access is very limited in the community.<\/p>\n

The digital divide between those who have internet at home and those who do not occurs in both rural and urban areas. It is markedly apparent in rural communities, where nearly 40 percent of residents lack access to broadband<\/a>, compared to 4 percent in cities.<\/p>\n

As a result of the digital divide, rural communities are suffering, yet are coping in innovative ways with the help of strong leadership from rural electric cooperatives. More than 900 member-owned, non-profit rural electric co-ops today represent more than 42 million people in 47 states<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rural electric co-ops are more than just poles and wires; they are economic drivers for the communities they serve. They are in the business of not only providing energy, but also social and economic benefits.<\/p>\n

Broadband helps rural co-ops use new technologies.<\/strong><\/p>\n

CoBank, which provides financial services to rural public utilities, recently released a report<\/a>, \u201cMaking the Move into Broadband: Rural Electric Co-ops Detail Their Experiences.\u201d The report shares best practices from six electric co-ops that deliver both power and internet service to their rural members.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Rural cooperatives] are attracting new businesses, making it possible for their members to work from home, and improving education, health care, and overall quality of life,\u201d said Jonathan Mann, a credit supervisor in CoBank\u2019s Denver office<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[Tweet “Rural communities need internet access, and rural electric co-ops are providing it”]<\/p>\n

Broadband provides multiple benefits to rural communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What does broadband have to do with energy? Actually, broadband has a lot to do with energy, and we must be concerned with communities that do not have modern-day access to both. Today, some energy technologies, such as smart meters and energy apps, depend on the internet to help the electric grid operate more efficiently.<\/p>\n

In addition to helping co-ops modernize their infrastructures, broadband offers multiple benefits to member-owners:<\/p>\n