Information technology accounts for a sixth of the total U.S. economy and is creating jobs five times faster than the rest of the economy. As a state with major research institutions and cutting edge companies, North Carolina has emerged as a national leader in high-tech enterprises. By 2005, projections show, computer scientists, computer engineers and systems analysts will account for three of four of the fastest growing occupations in the state. Rural North Carolina stands to gain immensely from this digital revolution. Information technology offers increased economic opportunities, higher living standards, more individual choices, and wider and more meaningful participation in government and public life.
Information technology can make distance far less important than it used to be.
Entrepreneurs can choose to live in small towns and rural communities and still engage in the global data-transmission marketplace. Yet, that dream is far from realized. 46th in the percentage of households using the Internet. The kind of infrastructure necessary for widespread growth and development is severely lacking in rural areas. As with other utilities and services, rural areas are often the last to be served because of the higher price of doing business.