New Study: 5G Will Help Close Digital Divide

A new study titled "Improving Rural Broadband Access: The Impact of Broadband Access and Proposed Investment in 5G Networks in South Dakota" finds that investment in 5G wireless infrastructure will be critical to advancing South Dakota's economic growth and promoting safety and quality of life in rural areas. This study was conducted by a research team from Old Dominion University and the University of South Dakota and underwritten by T-Mobile. 

As I stated in a March 2018 Perspectives from FSF Scholars titled "Reaching Rural America: Free Market Solutions for Promoting Broadband Deployment," 5G wireless technology will deliver speeds 10 to 100 times faster than 4G, making mobile broadband a viable option for a residential connection, particularly in rural areas where wireline deployment is not cost-efficient. That being said, the deployment of 5G technology will help close the gap of the digital divide by creating robust broadband access for rural Americans.