Spectrum and Rural Connectivity
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Spectrum and Rural Connectivity
This latest research examines how the digital divide affects people living in rural areas, and how governments and regulators can address this challenge.
Although significant progress has been made extending network coverage, rural populations remain 28% less likely to use mobile internet than their urban counterparts, and 30% less likely to regularly engage in online services such as messaging, banking and education. Where connectivity is available, network quality - which relies on low bands in rural areas - remains a key barrier to greater use, limiting the ability of rural communities to fully participate in the digital economy.
This research highlights how increased amounts of low-band spectrum (below 1 GHz) can have a significant real-world impact. Each additional 50 MHz of low-band spectrum is associated with a 7 percentage-point increase in 4G coverage and an 11 percentage-point increase in 5G coverage in rural areas. Increased low-band spectrum availability is also linked to higher rural download speeds and reduced congestion at the cell edge, where rural users are most likely to experience connectivity issues.
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Spectrum and Rural Connectivity
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Learn moreRelated research
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