Rural America Radio

Broadband access in the US is even worse than you think, this was the finding of a recent study by the New America Foundation - led by Sascha Meinrath and James Losey. The researchers took a close look at both speeds and prices in more than a dozen leading broadband countries. As it turns out, the study found, U.S. residents paid more for bandwidth than nearly every other country surveyed. This is the topic we address in this edition of Rural America Radio, a show that focuses on technology and current affairs as they impact rural communities across the US. Our focus in 2009-2010 is" Broadband for Rural Areas". We will interview guests, and bring you the most up-to-date information on progress being made in bridging the digital divide between urban/suburban and rural areas. We will also feature different topics of human interest, including agriculture, in remote and rural areas. Rural America Radio is hosted by Luisa Handem Piette, the Managing Director of RuMBA USA -- the Rural Mobile & Broadband Alliance. Rural America Radio is produced in collaboration with RuMBA USA and its members. Listeners are encouraged to send their questions by e-mail to luisahandem@rumbausa.com, or to call the guest line at Blog Spot Radio. The Obama administration has set aside over $7bn for deployment and adoption of high-speed Internet in rural areas, and we would like to keep you informed about progress in allocating funds to our neighbors in underserved and unserved communities. Rural America Radio is an upbeat and exciting show designed to stimulate discussion about the socio-economic development of rural America.