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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Broadband

Broadband Subscription Rate for U.S. Counties
Bar chart showing average broadband subscription rates for households with incomes under $50,000 and incomes of $50,000 or more, for mostly urban, mostly rural, and completely rural counties.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Percentage of Households With Subscription to Any Broadband Service: 2013-2017
National map showing household broadband subscription rates by county.
Additional links: Completely Rural Counties, Mostly Rural Counties, Mostly Urban Counties
Date: 12/2018
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Expanding Internet Access: Bank Financing for Rural Broadband Initiatives
Highlights multiple initiatives and other work being done by banks and federal savings associations to help rural communities expand access to broadband and internet services. Discusses broadband projects in rural Minnesota, Appalachian County Ohio, Alabama, and Alaska.
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
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State Laws and Policies Affecting Broadband Access in Eight Northern Region States
Highlights several state-level broadband policies and their effect on healthcare access in rural communities in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Compares broadband access in rural areas to state and national averages and breaks down the policies in each state.
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Network for Public Health Law
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Tribal Broadband: FCC Should Undertake Efforts to Better Promote Tribal Access to Spectrum
Examines wireless broadband access for tribal entities, barriers to obtaining spectrum licensing for tribes, and steps taken by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to support tribal access. Provides recommendations for the FCC to improve broadband wireless internet access in rural tribal areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Map to Prosperity
Discusses the potential of broadband's effects on the rural economy, especially for farming operations and small businesses. Describes broadband access in rural areas. Includes rural versus urban comparisons for rural broadband access and funding and technical assistance programs to increase broadband adoption.
Author(s): Johnathan Hladik
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
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Broadband: Opportunities and Challenges in Rural America
Presents a U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on broadband access in rural communities. Features testimony from representatives of Mescalero Apache Telecom, Golden West Telecommunications, Cheyenne River Sioux Telephone Authority, and U.S. Cellular Corp.
Date: 10/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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Oversight Hearing on "GAO Reports Relating to Broadband Internet Availability on Tribal Lands"
Presents a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing on broadband access on tribal lands. Discusses the U.S.Government Accountability Office (GAO) report: Broadband Internet: FCC's Data Overstate Access on Tribal Lands. Features testimony from representatives from the GAO, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Tribal Telecommunications Association, and AMERIND Risk.
Date: 10/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
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Tribal Broadband: Few Partnerships Exist and the Rural Utilities Service Needs to Identify and Address Any Funding Barriers Tribes Face
Examines tribal broadband access, federal funding to tribal entities for improving broadband access, and barriers to obtaining such federal funding. Identifies tribal partnership agreements that have increased broadband access and discusses the outcomes. Addresses challenges specific to rural areas and the healthcare benefits of broadband access.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Broadband Internet: FCC's Data Overstate Access on Tribal Lands
Examines the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) data collection methods to evaluate tribal broadband access in order to improve the accuracy of their efforts to fund underserved areas. Addresses scenarios that affect broadband access and offers three recommendations for the FCC.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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