For most of us, having a good broadband connection is almost as important as having lights and running water. But in many rural areas, a fast, affordable connection is still hard to come by.

In this episode of NET’s On The Table, we hear what happens when a small town is stuck with a slow internet connection and why money from the farm bill and other federal broadband programs is not always making it to the places that need it most.

Jonathan Ahl’s reporting about broadband access in Swiss, Missouri: http://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/rural-businesses-need-better-internet-access-expand-solutions-aren-t-so-easy

Roberto Gallardo’s 2016 TedX talk about the rural digital divide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30tFztBdXZM

Census report on broadband and poverty: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/2013-2017-acs-5year.html

FCC broadband map: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/#/