While in the older times the Internet was considered to be a luxury, it is now considered a human right. After passing a non-binding resolution in 2016, UN General Assembly declared Internet access as a human right. However, life is still in the slow lane for those that live in rural areas. Most of the rural areas still experience slow broadband connections. This not only affects the living standards of that area but also undermines any possibility for growth.
It is argued that if slow rural broadband continued to exist, it would further increase the disparity and disconnect between rural and urban communities.
Numerous factors constitute slow rural broadband, some of them are as follows:
No Fiber Connection
The most common mode of transmission in rural areas is a DSL connection. The issue with a DSL connection is that it only works well in a perfect environment. Otherwise, a small distortion in the line can lead to a connection failure. This means that DSL is not reliable. Moreover, the performance of the line is also dependent on the distance from the company hub. Since line networks are not extensive, often people have to rely on distant lines that are transmitting at a not-so-great speed. In a case, such, minute distortions lead to slow Internet connection.
No Proper Networks
As mentioned above, rural areas rarely have well-built Internet service provider networks. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, the cost incurred for building extensive rural networks is high.
In addition to this, the opportunity cost of such a network is also very high. This essentially means that there are not enough potential customers in rural areas that would benefit from the network than in urban areas. Resultantly, ISP’s are more interested in urban areas and tend to invest more in networks there.
No Regular Maintenance and Old Infrastructure
Harsh weather conditions and uneven terrains that are not even suitable for underground wiring coupled with no periodic maintenances results in a broadband connection that is bound to be slow and has limited connectivity. Rural areas have to use old and outdated technology for several years till they get an upgrade which itself becomes old by the time they receive it.
No competitor
Last but not the least, the reason why rural broadband is slow and is not improved is that ISP’s have a monopoly in rural areas. Most rural areas only have one or at max two Internet service providers. Since there is no competition, the quality is compromised and people have to suffer. This is also the reason why the Internet service mapping is inaccurate.
The pandemic has made us realize the importance of the Internet in all spheres of life. Thus, having good quality and speedy Internet connection is a must. Internet availability was highly quintessential for us to survive, connect and conduct our operations that were all put to a halt. Therefore, slow/poor internet connection is an injustice to the local audience and they should be accommodated.
Find out how we can help you generate a faster internet speed by contacting us here.
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