Nov 18, 2018 3 min read

There’s been no shortage of commentary over the last few years about the divides between rural and urban Americans on everything from cultural affinities to economic opportunities.

And perhaps nothing more vividly underscores the chasm between the two Americas than broadband speeds.

If you live in a city or suburb, the speed of your internet connection should not be a problem, because providers have laid high-quality lines in areas where there are plenty of customers to be had. But there’s not as much money to be made placing those lines in rural communities, so many internet users outside metropolitan areas find their speeds to be painfully slow. And the implications are more consequential than frustration while binge-watching “Stranger Things” or “The Crown.” Having slow internet connections can be a hindrance to new businesses locating in or thriving in rural areas, putting the livelihood of the countryside at an even greater disadvantage as more and more talent and capital is funneled to cities.

The preliminary findings of a study being undertaken by Penn State University on broadband access in the rural reaches of the commonwealth are not reassuring. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported earlier this month that researchers have found that internet speeds are even slower in rural Pennsylvania than had been previously believed.

The benchmark set by the Federal Communications Commission for high-speed internet is 25 mbps (megabits per second). Penn State’s study found this corner of the commonwealth had speeds between 10 and 25 mbps. It must be said that is far more lickety-split than Sullivan County, the most sparsely populated county in the state, which had molasses-slow speeds of 0-3 mbps.

Sascha Meinrath, the Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State, told the Inquirer, “What we are documenting is profoundly different than what we were told, the speeds are far slower. Places we were told have access appear to have limited to no access. The important word is ‘appear.'”

At least since the dawn of email, policymakers have been grappling with whether the internet is a luxury or a necessity, and it seems fair to say that advocates of the latter are winning the argument. Being able to make headway in a 21st century economy without a decent internet connection seems unlikely at best. This hasn’t escaped the attention of Gov. Tom Wolf, who has offered incentives to internet providers to put high-quality lines in rural areas. State Rep. Pam Snyder, the Greene County Democrat, has also been a firm champion of rural broadband.

“Some very basic things can no longer be done unless you have connectivity,” Meinrath said. “The last thing we want to do is have an infrastructure that divides. We’ve been contacted by a ton of small business owners and farmers who tell me, ‘I can’t do my work because my connection sucks.'”

It’s clear: Having a speedy internet connection is as important in today’s world as having passable roads. People in rural areas shouldn’t have to settle for broadband connections that are the equivalent of rutted dirt roads while everyone else is zipping down the autobahn.