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Advanced manufacturing (AM) is a vital driver of the U.S. economy. AM is also crucial in building U.S. competitiveness by strengthening the scientific and engineering enterprise and providing transformative science and technology solutions. AM anchors rural economies across the country and is especially important to rural America, where it accounts for a larger share of employment and earnings than in urban areas. Broadband Internet connectivity is essential affordance of the “smart” AM production technologies key to U.S. leadership because they enable manufacturers to precisely customize products and supply for increasingly segmented markets. However, our review of policy and research suggests that little is known about the extent to which the U.S. broadband environment can support and enable AM, especially in the prime rural locations. In this paper, we will explore rural communities’ AM readiness. Specifically, we synthesize research and policy documents relating to the centrality of broadband Internet to AM; the state of broadband in rural communities; and the potential for AM transform rural communities. We conclude with promising directions for information science researchers to further investigate the relationship between broadband and the potential for AM to benefit rural communities’ economic potential.
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Roles of Wireless Networks in Bridging the Rural Smart Infrastructural Divide
The past decade has seen a rise in the availability of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) for developing smart societies and communities. However, the smart divide, characterized by inequalities in ICT infrastructures, software access, and individual capabilities, remains a significant barrier for rural communities. Limited empirical studies exist that explore what and how ICT infrastructures can be developed to bridge the smart divide. The paper aimed to address rural broadband access in the context of infrastructural dimensions of smart divide (i.e., smart infrastructural divide) in the United States, focusing on the wireless network infrastructure’s role in narrowing the gap. It examined the broadband specifications needed for smart applications like smart education and telehealth, emphasizing the importance of wireless network capabilities. While fixed broadband offers higher speeds, wireless networks can support many smart applications with decent flexibility and ease of access. To further understand the implications of wireless broadband to rural communities, we conducted a case study in Carbondale and Cairo, two rural towns in Southern Illinois, using on-site user-inspired speed testing. An Android application was developed to measure download/upload speeds and Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) for broadband quality. Results suggest both Carbondale and Cairo experienced below-average speeds with high variability among census blocks, which highlights the need for improved wireless network infrastructure. The paper culminated in the technological and policy recommendations to narrow down the smart infrastructural divide.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2122092
- PAR ID:
- 10473758
- Publisher / Repository:
- MDPI
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Infrastructures
- Volume:
- 8
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 2412-3811
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 159
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- smart divide ICT broadband wireless network digital divide smart infrastructural divide southern Illinois
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures8110159
