Wired and Wireless Broadband: What’s at Stake for Rural Communities?

From June 28-30, more than 300 rural leaders from across the United States met in St. Paul, MN, for the 2011 National Rural Assembly. The event included work sessions, roundtables, networking opportunities, and panel presentations for stakeholders who represented the diversity of rural America in geography, race/ethnicity, and public policy interests. Participants strategized about how to create a nation where rural communities can thrive and contribute to the nation’s success.

The Center for Media Justice brought together 20 individuals from 17 organizations across the country to examine the role of wired and wireless broadband access in rural communities, discuss what’s at stake in broadband policy, and determine what can be done to improve policy conditions through collaborative advocacy.

The session, held prior to the National Rural Assembly, was designed to address the unique conditions that rural communities face and encourage participants to:

• Consider the conditions created by existing broadband policy in rural communities
• Investigate the social impacts of existing broadband policy on rural communities
• Identify community-based strategies for change
• Create a broad and intersectional base of support to address wired and wireless broadband issues