Access to high-speed broadband is severely limited in many rural areas 鈥� but new research troubleshoots the issue.
Javier Valent铆n-S铆vico recently defended his dissertation 鈥� 鈥淓valuating Barriers to, and Impacts of, Rural Broadband Access鈥� 鈥� on his way to receiving the first doctorate granted by Missouri University of Science and Technology鈥檚 new Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.
Valent铆n-S铆vico鈥檚 research focused on finding cost-effective ways to expand broadband access in rural communities while leaving room for growth.
Casey Canfield, an assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering at Missouri S&T, was Valent铆n-S铆vico鈥檚 adviser for five years. Canfield told St. Louis On The Air that their work defined rural areas as places that are struggling with broadband access mostly due to population density, not just affordability.
鈥淚f you can serve that underserved population, that can kind of get the ball rolling,鈥� Canfield said. 鈥淭hat could potentially make it easier to reach [the] unserved population later.鈥�
During his research, Valent铆n-S铆vico created a toolkit meant to help communities expand their broadband access by themselves.
鈥淥ne of the goals,鈥� Valent铆n-S铆vico said, 鈥渋s to provide tools for these community-driven broadband projects so they could understand what the different requirements [are] and what community costs they should take into account when identifying what program infrastructure could serve their needs.鈥�
The dissertation also questioned whether individual communities should be responsible for initiating their own broadband programs or if the Regional Planning Commission should play a bigger role.
鈥淚s [broadband] something that the Regional Planning Commission should be focused on,鈥� Canfield asked, rhetorically, 鈥淸or] is that someone else's job? Is it a public-sector problem? Is it a private-sector problem? It is unclear whose job it is to solve this.鈥�
鈥淭here is a cost associated with waiting,鈥� Canfield said 鈥� opportunities missed before broadband access arrives.
Canfield said everyone 鈥� including those living in cities 鈥� would reap the benefits of expanded rural broadband access. 鈥淭here's a lot of economic development potential in rural areas that could increase the state's GDP,鈥� she said.
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