Closing the rural broadband gap

Microsoft has developed a strategic approach that brings together private and public-sector organizations to help address the needs of millions of people who live in rural America and lack access to broadband.

Airband is expanding to US cities that face some of the largest broadband gaps among communities of color. Our approach focuses on providing access to affordable broadband, devices, and digital skilling tools and resources.

Nearly all of the unconnected are in markets outside the United States, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Learn how we are working with partners in Kenya to improve rural productivity and livelihood in communities that would otherwise not have access to these technological opportunities.

Cal.net delivers high-speed internet to California’s rural Sierra Mountain foothills and Central Valleys, focusing especially on areas comprising over one million residences and small businesses that have historically lacked access to high-speed internet.

In Eastern Ghana, Bluetown is delivering affordable broadband to over 800,000 people in rural areas. Using technologies like TV white spaces, Bluetown is enabling local businesses and schools to access digital services.

Veriown brings Internet-connect solar energy to areas without access to a power grid. Using technology that provides electricity and internet through a single device, Veriown provides communities with access to online education and commerce.

Using low-cost technologies, Mawingu Networks connects people to the internet for as little as one dollar per month. Lower infrastructure costs make it more affordable for people to access the internet and participate in the digital economy.

This opinion piece outlines a need for investment in innovative wireless technologies, public and private partnerships, and flexible financial models to close the broadband gap.

In rural America, access to high-speed internet is fundamental in an increasingly digital and connected world but is often taken for granted in urban areas.

Through partnerships and initiatives, Microsoft is committed to closing the digital divide once and for all by connecting everyone in the world to the internet.

Microsoft is expanding its work with Veterans Affairs to bring broadband access, digital skills training, and telehealth services to Veterans living in rural areas.

With the early progress of the Airband Initiative, we are raising our goal. We will now work to extend broadband access to 3 million Americans in rural areas by July 2022.