While internet access is increasing, broadband access in Appalachia is not. Chris Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance says that harms economic growth.
Mitchell is one of the scheduled speakers at today's Appalachian Ohio West Virginia Connectivity Summit and Town Hall meeting in Marietta. The day-long event is designed to present options for rural county and regional governments interested in treating internet service as a public utility instead of solely relying on large corporations. The head of the Federal Communications Commission is using the event as a stop on her listening tour.