Rural America Still Needs Fast Internet. Some Worry New Federal Plans Will Fall Short

By Anna Pope

Rural life is what makes southeast Oklahoma a great place to live, according to Kris Bailey.

“We have small communities, which I love. Beautiful country. We have a lot of timber industry. A lot of farming,” she said. “I mean, of course I'm a little biased, but I think it's a beautiful part of the state to live in and to raise your family in.”

But in parts of this rural corner of the state, it can be hard to get high speed internet.

Bailey works as a family and consumer sciences educator, connecting farmers and other rural residents to educational resources through the Oklahoma State University Extension. But even the extension office in Choctaw County has slow connectivity.

“It still is not good enough for us to upgrade our phone systems to an internet-based phone,” she said, “And that's what we're really needing in that office.”

The Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment – or BEAD – Program is meant to help far-flung places, like Choctaw County, finally get faster internet service.

In 2023, Congress allocated about $42 billion to BEAD through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.