In 1868, the railroad bypassed Forestville, Minn., and the town died. The decline came slowly, and over time my distant relatives, Thomas and Mary Meighen, saw the town dwindle and people move away. They were left in an empty town with their farm and a general store attached to their home. Farmworkers, paid in "chits" to spend in that store, kept it open until 1908, when business in it came to a screeching halt as Thomas abruptly closed up shop — the last business in Forestville — with all the merchandise inside...
What happens to your town if it's bypassed by high-speed broadband like Forestville was by the railroad in 1868?
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hooray for rural MN
How do we find out what discussions are happening locally? I'd love to get our rural electrical co-op, and current service providers to work together to bring fiber to rural Redwood County. We live 5 miles from Redwood Falls, yet only one ISP is offered and the larger ISPs state that 5miles out is 'not in their market area'. I say bollocks. When I approached the owner(s) of redred.com regarding fiber 5 years ago, the unofficial result was that they would be happy to install it for my home specifically for a fee of 4K, excluding the monthly lease thereafter. Made me go..humm - what about everyone else? Needless to say I declined the unofficial quote and offer. If utilities can be run, why not fiber optic - there seems to be a real disconnect on what 'essential' services are as lawmakers, and telcos also, seem to believe the 'modernization' of broadband services are a luxury vs the fact it is essential for economical growth, development and maintenance of rural communities - not just private business, but also public services. If internet connectivity can grow in rural global communities where US based companies outsource employees, why can't U.S. employees enjoy the same infrastructure growth to support their livelihoods (sp)?
No easy answer
Unfortunately, I don't have an easy answer on how to know what is happening locally. I think the first step is to talk with neighbors and elected leaders on the issue. Rural electric coops have typically avoided telecom but muni electric companies have been more involved. You could also check with Blandin Foundation - they have a finger on the pulse of rural broadband.
As to why other countries are surpassing us - it is because their elected leaders have prioritized broadband infrastructure in word and action whereas our elected leaders typically prioritize broadband infrastructure in word only, failing to follow through with programs that will actually solve the problem (versus shoveling cash at lazy incumbents).
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