Policymakers should encourage investments in new funding and competition models, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are directed at improving broadband infrastructure in an efficient, cost-effective, and future-oriented manner. Funding should be directed to shared infrastructure in addition to particular carriers in order to allow federal and state governments to target dollars where needed, and to allow for efficient deployment of infrastructure that could serve multiple carriers.

There is no silver bullet to closing the rural digital divide; it is going to require a technology-agnostic approach that addresses several adoption barriers, including access and affordability. Each combination approach should be crafted to address the unique challenges of the communities it aims to serve.

Millions of Americans are left without broadband because their geographic location is too remote to turn a profit. Instead, policies to promote rural broadband should ensure that all consumers in rural areas have access to affordable service, regardless of population density or physical terrain.

Strong net neutrality protections are critical to ensure ISPs don’t block websites or applications or slow down web traffic -- practices that would make rural broadband connections even less reliable and deepen the rural digital divide.

Bridging the digital divide and connecting rural America will require the same standards for service or deployment that are used in urban America. Without equivalent services, rural America will continue to be left behind.

Even if broadband service becomes more widely available, lower-income rural households, like their counterparts in urban communities, are unlikely to adopt the high-speed broadband service they need if it is too expensive. Publicly subsidized, rural broadband providers must offer affordable options for low-income households. Public investments in rural broadband infrastructure must be accompanied by funding for community digital inclusion initiatives in order to ensure that the entire public can benefit from the federal investments.