Broadband is an
essential ingredient for modern life, but unfortunately, access to high speed
internet is not ubiquitous, particularly in rural areas served by electric
co-ops. Troubled by the lack of broadband access in their communities and the
risk of being left behind by the 21st century economy, many electric
cooperatives are becoming part of the solution. This article, first published
in the Fall 2018 issue of the NCBA CLUSA Cooperative Business Journal, explores
the value of broadband access for both electric co-ops and their
consumer-members, and the role that co-ops play in closing the digital divide.
