Bridging the Digital Divide Will Depend Heavily on the Future of Rural Broadband Expansion

High-speed internet access is synonymous with economic prosperity, however, the disparity in broadband infrastructure between urban and rural communities has never been more pronounced. As the digital revolution marches on, the divide widens, leaving rural communities deep in the shadows of technological advancement. But this stark reality centers an urgent call to action, spearheaded by initiatives like BEAD funding, which is aimed at revitalizing rural broadband infrastructure.

Amidst this backdrop, the critical question looms: How can rural communities navigate the complex maze of broadband expansion to bridge the digital divide effectively?

For another insightful episode of Wavelengths, an Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin is joined by Brant Carter, Director of Industry Products at Sitetracker. The two unraveled the intricacies of broadband expansion in rural areas. This episode also explored the challenges, opportunities, and innovative strategies pivotal for the successful deployment of rural broadband infrastructure.

In this episode, Litwin and Carter delved into:

  • The current state of rural broadband expansion and the unique challenges rural communities face, from geographical constraints to resource limitations.
  • Exploring actionable strategies for rural telcos to navigate the complex landscape of broadband deployment.
  • The Role of BEAD Funding and examining its impact on the rural broadband landscape and how it shapes the future of connectivity in rural America.

Brant Carter is the Director of Industry Products at Sitetracker. With a distinguished career at the company, he has a wealth of experience in telecommunications infrastructure. His role includes deploying critical infrastructure across various sectors, managing multi-billion dollar projects globally. This has allowed Carter to be positioned as a leading voice in telecommunications infrastructure.

Recent Episodes

AI infrastructure is evolving at breakneck speed, and the real challenge is no longer just designing next-generation data centers—it’s executing them at scale. As demand for AI-ready facilities grows, operators must adapt to immense increases in power density, new cooling technologies, and unconventional deployment locations. Power density requirements for AI workloads are pushing the…

As AI infrastructure spreads beyond tech hubs and into America’s heartland, companies face a new imperative: not just to build facilities—but to build trust, local partnerships, and long-term value for the communities that host them. In Ellendale, North Dakota, Applied Digital’s Polaris Forge 1 campus has become a case study in what rural revitalization…

As demand for artificial intelligence continues to soar, the AI infrastructure needed to power it is scaling just as rapidly. A 2024 report from the International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts that global spending on AI infrastructure will exceed $200 billion by 2028, driven by an explosion in compute-heavy applications like large language models and…