Picking up the Broadband Pace

Across the state, companies, cooperatives and municipalities are building broadband networks in rural areas that have been underserved. Ground Level has covered some of these projects on this blog, especially public efforts and those that have received federal stimulus dollars.

Now we've dug deeper, launching a topic page that contains stories exploring the ups and downs of building broadband networks -- some of which have been controversial. We've explored whether telework could help repopulate rural areas and how fiber might transform the arrowhead's Cook County.

One of the highlights on the page is a video by Molly Bloom that tells the story of two potters in Hutchinson who credit broadband with improving their business. They sell cooking pots to customers around the world via the Internet.

We've included a "white paper" backgrounder answering many of the most frequent questions about broadband, a complicated technical issue, and a list of links and resources. Our "UpClose" feature profiles some of the people around the state making a difference vis-à-vis high speed internet.

As always, we welcome your feedback and input. How might faster internet transform your community? Is broadband a good investment of public dollars? Should municipalities build these networks?

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