Kansas farm family struggles with limited Internet options

Recently, the Hays Daily News (Hays, Kansas) published an opinion piece written by a Kansas farmer -- Alisa Rath. In her piece, Rath discusses the difficulties that she and her family have experienced in attempting to use the Internet to run and facilitate their farming business.

"To succeed in our farm business, our family needs high-speed Internet service that is prompt, efficient and, most of all, effective. Our Internet service experiences have been just the opposite. On top of that, living in a rural area means our choices are few and expensive," she writes.

Speed Matters understands the struggles confronting the Rath family. And, unfortunately, there are many other families in similar positions. According to Connected Nation, 19% of rural residents say they do not subscribe to broadband because it is not available and 22% of them do not subscribe because of the unmanageable costs.

The benefits of universal and affordable broadband access are staggering. And for America's rural communities, they can be life changing. Increased broadband access and use will expand rural economies, educational systems, and health care services.

As Alisa Rath explains, she and her family knew that they needed something more than dial-up: "After much thought, we began looking into our options for broadband. To my surprise, there were none. Turns out we live too far out of town. "

The Rath family eventually decided to subscribe for a satellite-driven Internet service, despite its high costs. They knew that the benefits were worth it.

"Although the monthly cost was exorbitant compared to high-speed service in town, we felt we had no other options. We agreed the benefits outweighed the costs, so we re-arranged the family budget and purchased it...We realized the value of faster Internet service immediately," she wrote.

The satellite service, though, was unpredictable and the family was forced to wait a month for repair. So, they are still hoping for better options.

"If rural areas are to thrive in today's competitive climate, we need the same advantages available in town," she says.

Speed Matters supports the Raths and the many other families who face the challenges of poor Internet access and unsatisfactory alternatives and is working to raise awareness about the digital divide. See how you can take action to lessen the burden on America's rural families.

Rural Kansas missing the connection (Hays Daily News)

Why We Must Act Now on Universal Internet Access and the Digital Divide (Speed Matters)

Benefits: Rural Communities (Speed Matters)

What You Can Do (Speed Matters)