Editing Internet access (section)

===Rural access===
{{main|Broadband universal service}}

One of the great challenges for Internet access in general and for broadband access in particular is to provide service to potential customers in areas of low [[population density]], such as to farmers, ranchers, and small towns. In cities where the population density is high, it is easier for a service provider to recover equipment costs, but each rural customer may require expensive equipment to get connected. While 66% of Americans had an Internet connection in 2010, that figure was only 50% in rural areas, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Home-Broadband-2010/Part-1/Broadband-adoption-among-African-Americans-grew-significantly-between-2009-and-2010.aspx |title=Trends in broadband adoption |work=Home Broadband 2010 |first=Aaron |last=Scott |publisher=Pew Internet & American Life Project |date=August 11, 2011 |access-date=December 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219195728/http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Home-Broadband-2010/Part-1/Broadband-adoption-among-African-Americans-grew-significantly-between-2009-and-2010.aspx |archive-date=December 19, 2011 }}</ref>
[[Virgin Media]] advertised over 100 towns across the United Kingdom "from [[Cwmbran]] to [[Clydebank]]" that have access to their 100&nbsp;Mbit/s service.<ref name="100mb">{{cite web |url= http://mediacentre.virginmedia.com/Stories/Virgin-Media-s-ultrafast-100Mb-broadband-now-available-to-over-four-million-UK-homes-211c.aspx |title= Virgin Media's ultrafast 100Mb broadband now available to over four million UK homes |work= News release |publisher= Virgin Media |date= June 10, 2011 |access-date= August 18, 2011 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120710052836/http://mediacentre.virginmedia.com/Stories/Virgin-Media-s-ultrafast-100Mb-broadband-now-available-to-over-four-million-UK-homes-211c.aspx |archive-date= July 10, 2012 }}</ref>

[[Wireless Internet service provider]]s (WISPs) are rapidly becoming a popular broadband option for rural areas.<ref>[http://www.physorg.com/news71497509.html Wireless World: Wi-Fi now in rural areas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916103841/http://www.physorg.com/news71497509.html |date=2011-09-16 }} July 7, 2006</ref> The technology's line-of-sight requirements may hamper connectivity in some areas with hilly and heavily foliated terrain. However, the Tegola project, a successful pilot in remote Scotland, demonstrates that wireless can be a viable option.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tegola.org.uk | title=Tegola project linking Skye, Knoydart and Loch Hourne | access-date=2010-03-16 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015180711/http://www.tegola.org.uk/ | archive-date=2012-10-15 }}</ref>

The Canadian [[Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative]] [[public private partnership]] is the first program in North America to guarantee access to "100% of civic addresses" in a region. It is based on [[Motorola Canopy]] technology. As of November 2011, under 1000 households have reported access problems. Deployment of a new cell network by one Canopy provider ([[EastLink (company)|Eastlink]]) was expected to provide the alternative of 3G/4G service, possibly at a special unmetered rate, for areas harder to serve by Canopy.<ref>[http://www.gov.ns.ca/econ/broadband/ "Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519220248/http://www.gov.ns.ca/econ/broadband/ |date=2012-05-19 }}, Economic and Rural Development, Nova Scotia, Canada, access 27 April 2012</ref>

In New Zealand, a fund has been formed by the government to improve rural broadband,<ref>{{cite web|title=Rural Broadband Initiative 2|url=http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/technology-communications/fast-broadband/new-initiatives/rbi2-mbsf-policy-settings|access-date=30 April 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424200803/http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/technology-communications/fast-broadband/new-initiatives/rbi2-mbsf-policy-settings/|archive-date=24 April 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and mobile phone coverage. Current proposals include: (a) extending fiber coverage and upgrading copper to support VDSL, (b) focusing on improving the coverage of cellphone technology, or (c) regional wireless.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rural broadband extension bids: Your guide to the RBI2 runners and riders|url=https://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=21425|access-date=30 April 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417110115/https://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=21425|archive-date=17 April 2017}}</ref>

Several countries have started [[Hybrid Access Networks]] to provide faster Internet services in rural areas by enabling network operators to efficiently combine their XDSL and LTE networks.