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Five Days on the Digital Dirt Road
Mar 07, 2009
In North Carolina alone, nearly 5 million residents don't have access to high-speed Internet. According to a July 2007 study,
30 percent or more of the state's population in 21 rural counties did
not have high-speed Internet connectivity. In many cases, telephone and
cable companies have refused to provide service to people living in the
remote and rural areas of the state, while some people are simply
priced out of buying expensive broadband service.
It's becoming increasingly clear, however, that Internet
connectivity is key to a sound economy and could help revitalize local
communities hit hard by the economic downturn. North Carolina is the
second-largest textile employer
and the third-largest apparel employer in the United States, and it has
suffered numerous plant closures over the last decade. The state has
continued to hemorrhage jobs in the face of our current economic recession, losing 34,900 jobs in December 2008 alone. Over the past year, 120,200 jobs have vanished, and the state's unemployment rate is high at 8.7%.
Replacing these lost jobs with opportunities offered by the Internet
- home-based businesses, telecommuting, and bringing current businesses
into the digital age - could help save America's economy, and stabilize
the lives of people floundering in places like North Carolina.
The e-NC Authority, a state initiative to expand Internet access, has been sounding the alarm about the digital divide since 2001:
"There is a critical need for broadband expansion in
North Carolina. As the world economy becomes increasingly globalized,
access to broadband infrastructure is vital in order for communities to
remain competitive. The rural areas of North Carolina are being left
behind."
Free Press
traveled across the state in February to meet people trying to raise
families, go to school, start and maintain businesses, and participate
in the global economy using antiquated dial-up service and unreliable
satellite Internet connections. Their stories are a testament to why
high-speed Internet is vital for America's future, and why our leaders
in Washington should be approaching broadband expansion with the same
urgency and commitment given to past projects like highway expansion,
rural electrification and clean drinking water.
Click on the links below to read and watch the stories of seven
North Carolinians and learn how high-speed Internet access could
improve their communities and change their lives.
On January 20th, it begins...
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Megan Tady
Megan Tady runs Word-Lift, a consulting and copywriting service in western Massachusetts. Previously, she was Campaign Coordinator for Free Press. Prior to joining Free Press, Megan was a national political reporter for In These Times, The New Standard, and worked extensively as a freelance journalist.
In North Carolina alone, nearly 5 million residents don't have access to high-speed Internet. According to a July 2007 study,
30 percent or more of the state's population in 21 rural counties did
not have high-speed Internet connectivity. In many cases, telephone and
cable companies have refused to provide service to people living in the
remote and rural areas of the state, while some people are simply
priced out of buying expensive broadband service.
It's becoming increasingly clear, however, that Internet
connectivity is key to a sound economy and could help revitalize local
communities hit hard by the economic downturn. North Carolina is the
second-largest textile employer
and the third-largest apparel employer in the United States, and it has
suffered numerous plant closures over the last decade. The state has
continued to hemorrhage jobs in the face of our current economic recession, losing 34,900 jobs in December 2008 alone. Over the past year, 120,200 jobs have vanished, and the state's unemployment rate is high at 8.7%.
Replacing these lost jobs with opportunities offered by the Internet
- home-based businesses, telecommuting, and bringing current businesses
into the digital age - could help save America's economy, and stabilize
the lives of people floundering in places like North Carolina.
The e-NC Authority, a state initiative to expand Internet access, has been sounding the alarm about the digital divide since 2001:
"There is a critical need for broadband expansion in
North Carolina. As the world economy becomes increasingly globalized,
access to broadband infrastructure is vital in order for communities to
remain competitive. The rural areas of North Carolina are being left
behind."
Free Press
traveled across the state in February to meet people trying to raise
families, go to school, start and maintain businesses, and participate
in the global economy using antiquated dial-up service and unreliable
satellite Internet connections. Their stories are a testament to why
high-speed Internet is vital for America's future, and why our leaders
in Washington should be approaching broadband expansion with the same
urgency and commitment given to past projects like highway expansion,
rural electrification and clean drinking water.
Click on the links below to read and watch the stories of seven
North Carolinians and learn how high-speed Internet access could
improve their communities and change their lives.
Megan Tady
Megan Tady runs Word-Lift, a consulting and copywriting service in western Massachusetts. Previously, she was Campaign Coordinator for Free Press. Prior to joining Free Press, Megan was a national political reporter for In These Times, The New Standard, and worked extensively as a freelance journalist.
In North Carolina alone, nearly 5 million residents don't have access to high-speed Internet. According to a July 2007 study,
30 percent or more of the state's population in 21 rural counties did
not have high-speed Internet connectivity. In many cases, telephone and
cable companies have refused to provide service to people living in the
remote and rural areas of the state, while some people are simply
priced out of buying expensive broadband service.
It's becoming increasingly clear, however, that Internet
connectivity is key to a sound economy and could help revitalize local
communities hit hard by the economic downturn. North Carolina is the
second-largest textile employer
and the third-largest apparel employer in the United States, and it has
suffered numerous plant closures over the last decade. The state has
continued to hemorrhage jobs in the face of our current economic recession, losing 34,900 jobs in December 2008 alone. Over the past year, 120,200 jobs have vanished, and the state's unemployment rate is high at 8.7%.
Replacing these lost jobs with opportunities offered by the Internet
- home-based businesses, telecommuting, and bringing current businesses
into the digital age - could help save America's economy, and stabilize
the lives of people floundering in places like North Carolina.
The e-NC Authority, a state initiative to expand Internet access, has been sounding the alarm about the digital divide since 2001:
"There is a critical need for broadband expansion in
North Carolina. As the world economy becomes increasingly globalized,
access to broadband infrastructure is vital in order for communities to
remain competitive. The rural areas of North Carolina are being left
behind."
Free Press
traveled across the state in February to meet people trying to raise
families, go to school, start and maintain businesses, and participate
in the global economy using antiquated dial-up service and unreliable
satellite Internet connections. Their stories are a testament to why
high-speed Internet is vital for America's future, and why our leaders
in Washington should be approaching broadband expansion with the same
urgency and commitment given to past projects like highway expansion,
rural electrification and clean drinking water.
Click on the links below to read and watch the stories of seven
North Carolinians and learn how high-speed Internet access could
improve their communities and change their lives.
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