#rural-connectivity

#rural-connectivity

Traditionally, sparsely populated areas have not received as much attention from fiber providers as those with greater populations because they simultaneously had less revenue potential and were more expensive to reach and serve. Satellite services can change that. Currently, it says that only 3% of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding awards are for Starlink and less than 1% are for Amazon Kuiper.

Research undertaken at the University of Glasgow's James Watt School of Engineering has demonstrated Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-based capabilities that could pay big benefits, especially for people who live in rural areas. The demonstrations were dental "exams" physically performed on dentures at a remote location. In addition to an open-source O-RAN, the research used 4G LTE and a haptic controller connected to a robot arm.

The Digital Opportunity Index aims to quantitatively evaluate broadband providers' performance in serving rural, low-income, and Tribal areas, comprising 45 out of 100 points.

Oxfordshire County Council has successfully fulfilled its GigaHubs initiative to enhance digital connectivity across 192 of the county's rural and public service sites.

"This project exemplifies how public-private partnerships can deliver fast, effective broadband expansion," said Brian Worthen, CEO of Visionary Broadband. "We're proud to lead the nation in completing this work and look forward to continuing to serve rural communities with the reliable connectivity they deserve."

The UK's Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme aims to enhance connectivity in rural areas by upgrading over 50 mobile masts to serve all mobile network operators.

"As the local Cooperative broadband service provider in surrounding areas, this purchase allows us to expand our reach into the Strasburg community and provide the same excellent service that we provide to our current members," Eastern Slope CEO Bradley Welp said in a press release about the TDS deal.