For a rural Alaskan couple, broadband comes before all else

A recent New York Times story highlighted how integral a role broadband Internet plays in our lives.

Bretwood Higman and Erin McKittrick live in a yurt – a portable dwelling traditionally used by nomads – in the remote town of Seldovia, Alaska, where a trip for supplies store could mean a plane ride. The couple goes without many of the trappings of modern life: they chop their own firewood, cook with a stove, and draw water from a well.

However, when it comes to broadband, their attitude is a bit different:

"The decision to live in a yurt has forced them to confront the same questions that many people do, but their conclusions have been far different. They decided they could live without running water, shower, bath or a working toilet, but they had to have broadband Internet access."

Bretwood and Erin know something that Speed Matters has long been advocating: access to information via broadband Internet is essential, whether you live in the middle of the city or in a remote town like Seldovia.

Speed Matters has compiled a fact sheet on the benefits of broadband for rural communities.

Broadband, Yes. Toilet, No. (New York Times)

Benefits: Rural Communities (Speed Matters)