View this Publication
This file, focuses on how telecommunications can contribute to rural revitalization in the United States, particularly concerning economic development and social services. The document highlights the challenges faced by rural areas, such as declining agricultural bases, high unemployment, and lower education levels, and explores how information technologies and telecommunications initiatives can offer solutions. It presents findings from a study of four diverse rural communities: Eagle Pass, Texas; Kearney, Nebraska; Demopolis, Alabama; and Glendive, Montana. Key themes and findings include:
- Impact of Telecommunications: Telecommunications can enable businesses to operate more efficiently in rural areas, allow some businesses to expand, and support public service delivery (e.g., distance education, health care). However, the impact on local economies can be mixed, with large firms sometimes drawing revenue away from local businesses.
- Challenges for Rural Providers: Rural telephone companies face high costs due to low population density, regulatory changes, and difficult terrain. They often develop strategies like forging regional alliances and seeking alternative funding.
- Community Development: The study emphasizes that infrastructure alone is not enough for community development; local leadership, community support, and integrated planning are crucial. Telecommunications can facilitate aggregation of demand, service integration, and horizontal communication between communities.
- Role of Leadership: Visionary individuals, often “outsiders” who relocate to rural areas, play a particularly strong role in driving innovation and mobilizing communities.
- Case Studies: Each community chapter provides an economic analysis and examines how telecommunications impacts education, health care, social services, and businesses. For example, in Eagle Pass, Texas, the study details its economy’s strong ties to Mexican trade, the role of maquiladora industries, and the challenges posed by cross-border telecommunications regulations and high unemployment.
The research was sponsored by The Ford Foundation through The Aspen Institute for the Humanities and builds upon earlier studies on telecommunications and economic development.
