Technology

The Internet has taken the world by storm ever since it became accessible to people around the world. Being well-rooted in almost all aspects of our life, be it personal or professional, educational or entertainment, social networking or business, it will be safe to say that life without the internet seems impossible these days. Anyone who has a computer or a smartphone can access the internet. The number of internet service providers has risen tremendously over the past decade because of the ever-increasing demands of internet usage. Urban areas seem to enjoy the availability of all sorts of internet providers including cable, fiber, satellite, and DSL. So, Therefore, users dwelling in urban areas have greater options to choose from. They can subscribe to something as budget-friendly as Spectrum internet, as lightning lightning-fast as AT&T internet, or as customizable as Cox internet plans. However, when it comes to rural areas, the options get very limited for the users since it is difficult to get internet access in remote areas. Lack of infrastructure and a lesser number of people per area makes it challenging for the providers to offer services in such areas. Therefore, people in rural areas face greater difficulty to connect to the internet. 

How do people consume the internet in urban and rural areas?

Internet Usage in Rural Areas

Without further ado, let’s have a deeper look at internet usage and availability in rural areas.

Grown Internet Use

Internet penetration and usage have surely seen rapid growth in rural areas. Gone are the times when you could not imagine finding the internet in a remote village in America. Technological advancements in internet provision, especially in the cellular broadband sector has brought much success in bringing internet facility to rural areas. 

Availability of Internet 

Owing to the fact that internet access is extremely important for our growth in all aspects, rural residents feel the dire need to have a sound internet connection in their reach. The government along with various internet providers has been putting in the effort to extend the internet accessibility in the rural areas but it is nowhere as compared to urban internet access. This is evident by the fact that nearly 30% of the rural residents have reported that there is only one ISP available in their area. 

Usage Levels

The rural residents might not have internet accessibility inside their workplace or home that limits their usage. The quality of the internet is much lower that makes residents watch lesser content online. Moreover, abandoning them from being tech-savvy and making them wary of technological developments. 

Internet Usage in Urban Areas

Nowadays, the internet has become a necessity from completing assignments to shopping and from knowing a food recipe to running full-time businesses. When it comes to urban areas, internet usage and availability is far better and easier to access. 

Extensive Internet Usage 

Cities are more developed in terms of infrastructure and technology. All offices and almost every household are equipped with a fast speed internet connection. For students, it has become a necessity to complete their assignments, access notes, lecture videos, or research papers from all across the world. No office or business can work without the internet these days. Therefore, it will be no exaggeration to think that almost every person in the urban areas is using the internet in one way or the other. Social media platforms are more commonly used by urban residents for social networking and communication as compared to rural residents.   

Having said that, internet connections in cities are denser with multiple providers available in one area. This adds to the convenience of the users as they have a wider range of deals and offers to choose the best one for themselves. Moreover, users are more tech-savvy and flexible to embrace technological upgrades. 

Wrapping Up, 

The aforementioned discussion concludes the fact that the use of the internet is growing in rural areas, but the remoteness and lesser population density are potential barriers for limited connectivity options. On the other hand, urban residents experience a good range of promotional deals, offers, and better customer service at lower rates. Continuous efforts are being made to increase broadband access in rural areas, but it is far from the technological advancements and accessibility options available for urban users.