Broadband Opportunities for Sussex County

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.