Over the last decade or so, copious amounts of ink have been spilled and many pixels have been rearranged to explain the vast and growing gulf between America’s slow-growing or declining rural communities and its flourishing cities.

Much of the divide — and it’s become an issue in other developed, prosperous countries, as well – is the result of an economy that has decisively moved from manufacturing and agriculture to knowledge. Cities are where the jobs are if you are young, ambitious and educated, and people migrate to where opportunity is.

There has been some speculation that locales outside metropolitan areas might see a rebound with the rise of remote work, but it will obviously take some time to see how and if that unfolds.

What is clear, though, is that rural communities are bound to lag behind if they don’t have access to broadband. Lack of access puts businesses at a pronounced disadvantage, and limits educational opportunities for residents.

If you want to stay in the mix in a 21st century economy, having 20th century internet access is not going to cut it.

As broadband reaches more and more residents in the region, things will improve for them, too.