Bridging the digital divide: Delivering broadband to rural communities

In recent years, there has been a great amount of emphasis on improving access to broadband connectivity. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates there are 2.6 billion people globally who do not have broadband access, with rural communities particularly affected. Just 50% of the global rural population are using the internet, compared with 81% of people in urban areas.

Despite the widespread availability of high-speed broadband around the world, where rural connectivity is concerned, service providers are still struggling to determine which network architecture strikes the right balance between performance, cost and build-out feasibility.

One of the key challenges service providers face when enabling rural connectivity is cost. GSMA estimates that it can cost up to twice as much to deploy new base stations in rural areas, with operating these stations also three times more expensive than those in urban areas. ROI is also not assured, with revenue generated from rural deployments sometimes being up to ten times less than from urban deployments due to lower population density.

Compounding the cost challenge is the fact that some rural areas can be hard to reach. Service providers require a wide range of WDM equipment with specialist capabilities to expand mobile broadband infrastructure and ensure deployments can adequately service rural communities.

To address this ‘digital divide’, governments have developed programs to encourage rural broadband investment and increase the level of connectivity available in underserved locations in their countries. Examples include Europe’s Connecting Europe Broadband Fund for broadband investment in underserved areas, or the USA’s ReConnect Program, which offers loans, grants, and loan-grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that currently do not have sufficient access.

With governments around the world prioritizing getting high-speed broadband to citizens, service providers are increasingly pursuing rural buildouts to help meet this goal. They are working hard to determine the best network architecture required and whether they opt for fixed wireless or fiber, without a robust, scalable middle-mile, even the best access network isn’t going anywhere.

Service providers looking to deliver rural broadband can look to specialist technology partners that enable high performance, scalability and flexibility with minimal investment. It takes a partner that is willing to sit down and understand what you’re trying to achieve, and that can propose a solution or solutions that meet both your project and budgetary objectives not just on day one but every day your network is operational.

In this series, Ekinops will be diving into the rural broadband challenges across North America, Europe and Africa and how service providers can overcome them to help bridge the global digital divide and bring connectivity to underserved communities – regardless of location.

Interested in learning more? Contact the Ekinops team to find out more.