Center for Policy Research in Environment, Energy, and Community
Broadband Access Promotes Networking, Economic Development for Rural Areas
Policies which harness the transformative power of broadband Internet are needed to foster crucial networking among hospitals, schools and businesses and to shape new opportunities for social and economic development in rural Pennsylvania, say Penn State researchers in a recently released report from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
"Broadband services offer a huge opportunity for rural areas with significant payback in terms of economic development and community revitalization," said Amy Glasmeier, co-author of the report and director of the Center for Policy Research in Environment, Energy, and Community.
"The Internet makes possible a whole range of processes which involve more than rapid access to information and which range from joint projects by municipalities and collaborations between schools to development of new business processes," she added.
The report, "Broadband Internet Use in Rural Pennsylvania," examines broadband availability and adoption in four sectors-health care, local government, education and business-through case studies, interviews with key information-technology personnel and analysis of organizations' Web sites.
The researchers distinguish between the Internet as transactional-that is, providing electronic access to information-and transformative-or enabling the customization of information and processes.
Co-authors include Chris Benner, associate professor, UC Davis; Chandrani Ohdedar, Ph.D. student in the Penn State department of geography; and Lee Carpenter with the Penn State Children, Youth and Families Consortium.
For a summary of the report, visit: http://www.ruralpa.org/broadband2008.pdf.
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