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Thursday, October 22, 2009
Broadband Access Helps Rural Areas
By Garrey Carruthers
NMSU, Economic Development
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently visited Las Cruces as part of the Obama Administration's Rural Listening Tour, which was kicked off by Vice President Biden in June. The visit was intended as an opportunity to listen to public concerns facing rural New Mexicans and focused on how to revitalize rural America. One integral area that was unfortunately overlooked was the issue of broadband infrastructure and access. It is critical for the administration's representatives to consider the importance of bringing broadband technology to rural New Mexico and the rest of America.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski recently described broadband deployment as “our generation's major infrastructure challenge,” likening it to the expansion of our nation's railroads, highways and universal electricity. Like those historic undertakings, connecting all Americans to broadband technology is a major challenge, but one that is critical to our nation's competitiveness and success.
As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress tasked the FCC with the creation of a National Broadband Plan. The FCC must take advantage of this opportunity to promote universal broadband deployment and adoption. There are still too many Americans who have yet to experience the benefits of broadband technology, including many residents here in New Mexico.
Fortunately, the explosion of new technologies is making it easier to bring broadband to New Mexican residents. In addition to more traditional cable and DSL services, wireless access and fiber-to-the-home are allowing broadband services to reach the homes' of New Mexican families. In fact, wireless is becoming an increasingly popular alternative as more Americans are using it to “leapfrog” to next-generation technologies.
No matter how people gain access to high-speed Internet, it is a valuable tool for New Mexicans and all Americans. Broadband technology creates opportunities in business, education and health care that are particularly useful for those living in rural areas. With a broadband connection, a New Mexican can work from home, and take advantage of employment opportunities in distant parts of the country. Telecommuting expands employment options, while removing costs for commuting or relocation
Broadband also makes it easier to continue one's education through distance learning. A study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation suggests that post-secondary students who take classes online are more likely to have full-time jobs. For younger students in rural areas, distance learning creates “virtual classrooms” and makes it easier to access advanced courses.
Among broadband's most important benefits is the life-saving potential of telemedicine. Telemedicine applications reduce hospitalizations and wait times to see doctors, as well as health care costs. According to the American Consumer Institute, telemedicine can reduce health care costs by 80 percent simply by performing basic medical checks at home. Remote monitoring and video conferencing services make seeing a doctor convenient and affordable.
While broadband offers a variety of benefits to individual citizens, it also creates jobs and improves the economy for the communities where it is present. The Brookings Institution found that for every one percent increase in broadband penetration in a state, employment increases by 0.2 to 0.3 percent per year. The American jobs associated with building broadband networks are estimated to pay 42 percent more than the average for manufacturing jobs. New Mexico communities can benefit from these jobs and the broader economic benefits they create.
In order to ensure that the National Broadband Plan successfully meets the task of bringing broadband to all Americans, I hope the FCC will recognize the importance of private sector investment in network infrastructure. Each year, private sector providers invest billions of dollars to deploy broadband to reach more American communities. To reach every corner of the country, it is critical that this level of investment continues.
Given the benefits of broadband deployment and adoption for rural communities, we hope policymakers will make unserved areas a priority when crafting the National Broadband Plan. This is the moment where the FCC must ensure that 100 percent of Americans have access to this life-changing technology. There are still too many New Mexicans, and Americans, lacking broadband connections, particularly those in rural parts of the country. Just as in our nation's previous infrastructure challenges, rural communities have much to gain from broadband access.
Former New Mexico Gov. Garrey Carruthers is vice president for Economic Development at New Mexico State University.
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