Rural Broadband: Bridging the North American Digital Gap

Rural North America continues to face challenges in terms of digital connectivity, according to numerous reports from both the Canadian and American governments.

Approximately 21.3 million Americans are unable to live without access to a high-speed internet connection, and 60% of rural Canadians are living without adequate provision, highlighting the increasing importance of getting more of the population online.

With major towns and cities that lie several hours apart, the rural areas that lie between often remain neglected due to the logistical complications and cost of connection.

In this short article, we’ll explain why this digital connectivity gap exists, why having a reliable internet connection is essential for rural communities, and how Enghouse Networks is part of the solution that will help get North America online.

Why is there a digital connectivity gap in rural areas?

With an estimated 7.75 billion people connected to broadband across the globe, the obvious question must be why rich countries such as the USA and Canada are unable to get connected. The answer comes down to both cost and population.

As we outline in our new paper, ‘Fiber Networks in Rural Communities: Delivering More Than Broadband’, the cost of just the fiber and conduit materials needed for a high-speed broadband connection, is an average of $11.56 per meter. This may not seem like much, but this results in a cost of over $115,000 for 10km alone.

With a population that tends to be spaced further apart than in urban areas, these costs can be prohibitive especially as they don’t include the additional costs of surveying, permitting, splicing, manpower, energy, and the overall maintenance and running of the network.

This forces many Americans to remain ‘off-grid’, to seek public internet connection in town and city centers or to choose expensive alternatives such as satellite internet that tends to be significantly slower and capped.

Because of the logistical challenges of accessing a high-speed internet connection, many Canadians and Americans are choosing to move away from their home communities for the connectivity of the bigger towns and cities. This can drain the life from the rural communities and leave in its place an aging population who tends to be less technologically savvy.

Why does broadband connectivity matter for rural areas?

It’s clear that a reliable broadband connection is critical for the success of these rural areas, especially during these recent times where the global pandemic has changed our lives.

As the nonprofit public policy organization, the Brookings Institution states; “The internet is no longer “nice to have,” it is critical. Whether working and studying from home or applying for unemployment compensation, the internet has kept activities alive. Seeing friends and visiting the doctor without infecting yourself or others became possible under the lockdown because of high-speed internet connections.”

Having a broadband connection allows rural businesses to process transactions, communicate with customers, use online commerce, maintain a strong marketing presence, conduct virtual meetings, and allow remote working, regardless of the global economic climate.

It helps residents to stay connected to friends and family, access learning materials and take part in leisure activities such as maintaining a fitness regime and streaming their favorite shows and movies.

Additionally, it allows healthcare professionals in rural hospitals to communicate with colleagues, transfer data, provide telehealth and telemedicine services and provide a high standard of healthcare to their patients.

What is the solution?

Fortunately, programs such as the $305 million Connecting Canadians fund and the Universal Service Fund (USF) from the USA have increased the funding available for improving the digital connection in these areas. Additionally, organizations such as our own have focused on innovation and technologies that can allow more North Americans to benefit from the fast and reliable broadband connection they deserve.