By Joshua Seidemann, Vice President of Policy, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association
April 27, 2017
Although I was raised in Ohio, I have been developing a bit of a relationship with Pennsylvania over the past decade. It started with a series of summers camping in Lancaster, complemented by time in nearby York County, and injected with periodic trips to Harrisburg, the state capital. And Philadelphia too, of course, for the big-city vibe in the state.
This past week, I spoke at the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA) spring conference. I learned a lot from the other speakers, who discussed work on the Port of Philadelphia and shipping issues, as well freight that traverses the state via rail or roadway (did you know that a Walmart distribution center in Bethlehem can reach 95 percent of the U.S. population in two days?). Other speakers described their local and regional businesses, and several (including a firm that manufactured paper for Lincoln's inauguration) have pivoted to meet changing market demands and technologies. Fortunately, several of the morning speakers noted the need for broadband, so my sales pitch in the afternoon was already primed.
"The Foundation for Rural Service-commissioned Hudson Institute study reveals the $24.1 billion impact of rural telecom providers."
I had arrived in Harrisburg for this meeting armed with economic studies undertaken by private researchers, universities, the USDA Economic Research Service, and (of course) the Foundation for Rural Service-commissioned Hudson Institute study that reveals the $24.1 billion impact of rural telecom providers. Since I thought there might be a few economists in the audience, I talked about the various methodologies of the studies before moving to a “where the rubber meets the road” discussion of how NTCA members, and in particular Smart Rural Community Showcase award companies, are using broadband creatively, collaboratively, and comprehensively in their communities.
And then my learning experience began.
During a Q&A period and afterward, several participants in the meeting seemed focused on one thing – how to obtain better, faster, stronger broadband. That was no surprise. What was enlightening, however, was the number of people who identified themselves as economic development professionals – either as consultants or full-time municipal employees. And not just for large or medium-sized towns. Some small cities also have an economic development officer on staff. Research can attach numbers to trends and social phenomena, but the people living in the community feel the impact of technology and changing economic models. Pennsylvania’s rural population, as a proportion to urban population, is projected to fare better than total U.S. numbers over the next 25 years. But, the state still faces projections of an aging rural population and overall trends in manufacturing and other industries that are not expected to provide the same reliability for employment opportunities as they did in the past.
And, we know from speaking with NTCA members and several communities that an economic development focus is emerging as a critical aspect of local planning. And, this is the case where (as occurs in many instances), reality demands that economic development is one of several disciplines assigned to a single individual.
But, that does not diminish the importance of the inquiry. And, seeing the breadth of people who are studying these issues for small communities in Pennsylvania, it seems reasonable to propose that a similar approach would be a good step for rural areas everywhere.
