Broadband Opportunities for Sussex County
Date
2009-08-18T20:04:09Z
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Infrastructure is a key ingredient in the recipe for regional economic prosperity—a constant
requirement as the U.S. economy evolves. Roads and rail connect cities, the electric grid
connects industry with energy, and telephone lines connect businesses with customers. The
current economy places a premium on the high-speed transfer of data that broadband
infrastructure makes possible. Broadband—defined by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) as advanced communications systems capable of providing high-speed transmission of
services such as data, voice, and video over the Internet and other networks—has become a
staple infrastructure in the diet of competitive regional economies (Federal Communications
Commission, February 2009).
This report highlights the opportunity for Sussex County, Delaware, to harness broadband
infrastructure for economic development and urges policy action in that regard. Broadband
technologies are described and defined in terms of their speed, availability, and future promise.
Chapter 2 reviews selected community benefits and specific applications of broadband. Chapter
3 summarizes the status of broadband infrastructure and use in rural areas of the United States,
with a particular focus on Sussex County. Finally, Chapter 4 provides a framework for policy
discussions aimed at enhancing and expanding broadband infrastructure and use in Sussex
County.
Description
Keywords
economic development, research, broadband, infrastructure, opportunities, Sussex County, Delaware