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    HomeAbout the Appalachian RegionThe ChartbookComputer and Broadband Access in Appalachia

        
      
Computer and Broadband Access in Appalachia
	
	
				
	
	
	Access to broadband or high-speed Internet service (cable, fiber optic, DSL, cellular, or satellite) enhances people’s ability to pursue learning, telework, access telehealth services, connect with their communities, start and grow businesses, and more. During the 2017-2021 period, 82.8% of Appalachian households had a broadband Internet subscription, compared to 87% of households nationwide.

Additionally, there are signs of a rural-urban “digital divide” within the Region. In 42 Appalachian counties, exactly half of which are considered rural, less than 70% of households had a broadband subscription. In contrast, almost all of the 27 counties with subscription rates at or above the national average were in metro areas. The increased role of internet access during, and in the aftermath of, COVID-19, puts Appalachia’s rural communities at even greater risk.

Learn more about Appalachia’s broadband and device access trends below.




	



89.5%
              
              Computer Access							  


80.9%
              
              Smartphone Access							  


82.8%
              
              Broadband Subscriptions

Broadband Subscriptions



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Broadband Subscriptions
          
                      Broadband or high-speed Internet access helps people pursue learning, telework, and more. During 2017-2021,82.8% ofAppalachian households had a broadband Internet subscription, compared to87%nationwide. In 42Appalachian counties, less than 70% of households had a broadband subscription.
          
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Device Access in Appalachia



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Households with No Device Access
          
                      Even before COVID-19, computer devices were used forschool, banking, healthcare, and more. The pandemic magnified their importance. In 2017-2021, 89.5% of Appalachian households had one or more devices—almostfour points below the national average. Only 25 Appalachian counties were at or above the national average;allwere in metropolitan areas.
          
                      Learn More





	


  
Households with No Device Access
          
                      The share of Appalachian households with a computer device was below 80% in36of Appalachia’s 423 counties. Allbut threeof those counties were outside metropolitan areas, mostwere in rural areas, and half were in Central Appalachia. This suggests a “digital divide”—particularly between urban and rural areas in Appalachia—that will likely be more apparent in coming years.





	



Related Content    
    
    The Chartbook
																				
								

  The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey
																				
								

  Education in Appalachia Appalachian Regional Commission

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