Rural America Is Building Its Own Internet Because No One Else Will

"We view it as the next economic revolution for coal towns," said Harry Collins, the chairman of the Letcher County Broadband Board, which formed late last year. "The majority of our railroad tracks are ripped up now--that revolution has played out. We feel that this [digital] revolution is just as game changing and life changing as those railroad tracks were in the 20s and 30s."

...

Their region of Kentucky has the highest unemployment rate in the state, at 10.2 percent, according to the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics. That's more than double the national average. The population also has poor health indicators, a low education attainment, and may not be able to work outside the home because they're caring for small children or aging relatives. Brown told me high-speed internet could help alleviate all of these pressures.

"If I've got reliable broadband, we can do telemedicine and bring in doctors from other areas," Brown said. "If I can get people at home going to school online, I can raise up my education attainment level, which is only going to help me attracting employers in the long run. There are so many economic and social benefits of this."