Case Study: Connecting the Nation

Charter is expanding access to high-speed broadband in the communities it serves, which allows more Americans to have the tools they need.

That’s particularly important in rural and other underserved areas, where the digital divide is a daily problem. Moreover, studies have empirically demonstrated the added value to expanding, or creating access to high-speed broadband in poor or rural communities.

Building Charter’s fiber network out to unserved and underserved areas and connecting more Americans to broadband is a priority for the company. In 2017, Charter expanded broadband access in many rural communities.* They include:

• California: 29,000 underserved homes in six rural communities, including: Adelanto, Gonzales, Prunedale, Farmersville, Lindsay and Boron.
• Colorado: 1,100 underserved homes and businesses in the rural Town of Meeker.
• Massachusetts: 2,800 homes in the rural communities of Hinsdale, Lanesborough, and West Stockbridge.
• Nevada: 2,000 homes in Hawthorne.
• New York: 42,000 underserved homes and businesses across the state.
• Oregon: 5,700 underserved homes and businesses in the rural communities of Dexter, Jasper, Lowell, Pleasant Hill and Veneta and more than 2,100 homes in Lakeview.
• Washington: 2,400 underserved homes and business in the rural communities of Chewelah and Loon Lake.
• Wisconsin: Approximately 800 homes and businesses in Thorp, which became one of the first communities to be certified under Wisconsin’s Broadband Forward! Initiative.

 

* Whitacre, Gallardo and Strover found that “high levels of broadband adoption in rural areas do causally (and positively) impact income growth…as well as (negatively) influence poverty and unemployment growth. Similarly, low levels of broadband adoption in rural areas lead to declines in the number of firms and total employment numbers in the county.” Brian Whitacre, Roberto Gallardo, and Sharon Strover, “Broadband’s Contribution to Economic Health in Rural Areas: A Causal Analysis,” TPRC 41: The 41st Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy” (March 26, 2013)

** Discussion of Case Studies: Several case studies are presented in this report and they are intended to highlight and help contextualize some of the economic impact findings presented in this report. Please note that all content presented in each of these case studies was prepared by Charter Communications and Oxford Economics did not independently verify the material presented in any of these case studies.