“We are teaching our rural regions to help themselves,” said Galen Updike, past-president of the Rural Telecommunications Congress. He suggests that rural communities need to work together regionally to aggregate demand to attract broadband. He points out that there is no cookie-cutter approach, but one commonality is the feet on the street in the community that makes broadband a reality.

He discusses some creative ways communities have funded projects. He also suggests that it is equally important not to have barriers enacted intentionally or unintentionally government agencies. He cites the Arizona law that was changed last year defining rights of ways to be use as communications’ corridors.

He suggests that those communities that don’t have broadband will see an outflow of young people and potentially will become 21st century ghost towns.

2013 Broadband Communities Summit coverage brought to you by the Matrix Design Group and M3 Multifamily Media Management.