|
The integration of business and entrepreneurial activities
into the rural digital economy varies from sector to sector
and among economic players:
- Telemedicine and telehealth have been
hailed as vital to health care provision in rural communities,
whether by improving locally
provided health care quality or by expanding the menu
of medical services.
- Online course offerings for students in
primary, secondary, post-secondary, and continuing education
programs have improved educational opportunities, especially
in small, isolated rural areas. And interaction among
students, parents, teachers, and school administrators
has been enhanced via online forums, which is especially
significant given the importance of ongoing parental
involvement in children's education.
- "Lone Eagles" are individuals
who are able to conduct private consulting, investment
activity, and other business pursuits from any location.
While their numbers are small in rural communities,
they tend to have high incomes and are sought by many
communities. For rural areas, they are most common in
locations having good communication and information infrastructure,
such as broadband services, able to handle high volumes
of data transmission.
- Most employment growth in the U.S. over
the last several decades has been in the service sector,
a sector especially conducive for broadband applications.
Broadband allows rural areas to compete for low- and
high-end service jobs, from call centers to software
development, but does not guarantee that rural communities
will get them.
- New markets for existing rural businesses,
including farms, also hold some promise. Niche markets,
such as organic farm goods, are one example.
- Rural businesses have been adopting more
e-commerce and Internet practices, improving efficiency
and expanding market reach. Some rural retailers
use the Internet to satisfy supplier requirements.
The farm sector, a pioneer in rural Internet use, is
increasingly comprised of farm businesses that purchase
inputs and make sales online.
Federal, State, and local government in-place demand
for telecommunication services directly contributes toward
the critical mass needed to bring advanced telecommunication
services to rural communities. Extension agent offices,
for example, become customers for service providers. The
more customers, and potential customers, that a service
provider can address, the more profitable a location becomes.
|
