Access Trumps Availability in Drive for Broadband

Broadband can be abysmal, even in average income urban areas, if you have policymakers, service providers, journalists and community stakeholders who confuse availability with access. Arkansas State Senator Linda Chesterfield explains the difference, and why this difference matters to broadband adoption.

Sen. Chesterfield, at a recent Delta Regional Authority broadband summit (skip to 5hr, 45min), spelled out in chapter and verse that having Internet access available has limited value if the people who need it can’t access it. She expands on this message by explaining to listeners how stakeholders can enable various constituents to not only get online, but also be more productive once they get there.

In rural US communities such as those in the Mississippi Delta region, getting access is not an easy challenge. However, Sen. Chesterfield offers powerful insights to other broadband advocates to help them overcome these hurdles.