Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Rural America needs broadband Internet access

I’ve been traveling this past week, visiting some dear friends in America’s heartland near the confluence of the mighty Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. As I tour southern Illinois, I’m struck by the history of that mystical area, from the infamous Cave-in-Rock to the life of Samuel Clemens my favorite American author. Where’s my high speed connection?

As the consummate “needing to be connected” geek, I was also paying attention to where I could find adequate Internet access. I thought I had all contingencies (WiFi, iPhone, and data card) covered, as I was headed deep into the “digital divide”. Little did I know the only option on some occasions would be an analog wired connection...