Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the United States will spend over $7 billion dollars to develop infrastructure and provide education to encourage rural adoption of high-speed Internet or broadband. But will rural America finally get connected? This article introducing the theme on this topic discusses possibilities and the potential role of land-grant university faculty.

The Internet continues to evolve and shape the global knowledge economy. But rural America continues to fall behind. This paper examines the global broadband adoption race and suggests implementing demonstration projects in rural America could encourage greater rural adoption by making broadband adoption benefits more observable through experiential learning.

Internet access through broadband technologies has been less prevalent in rural areas compared to urban. Federal, state, and local governments have taken a proactive role in encouraging the deployment of these technologies into rural areas with the intent to further develop and maintain the nation’s broadband network.

Broadband infrastructure may be a prerequisite to the economic development of rural communities. Broadband economic benefits are well-documented, but there are ongoing concerns regarding barriers in its deployment, service, and use. The current policy climate provides an enhanced opportunity for communities to invest in and improve their broadband infrastructure.

The purpose of the National e-Commerce Extension Initiative is to provide technology based education to strengthen entrepreneurship in rural America. Land-Grant University Extension faculty have already taught more than three hundred rural entrepreneurs from Alabama to Michigan how e-commerce benefits business. The mini-grant program and other details are discussed.

The "digital divide" in broadband access between rural and urban areas in the United States has been well documented. This paper examines Oklahoma’s broadband growth experience during the 2000s using maps of infrastructure availability and household telephone surveys. Policy options and opportunities for education to improve rural broadband adoption are then highlighted.