Caption
President Donald Trump during a news conference in the White House briefing room on Monday, April 6, 2026. (Getty Images)
The fastest Internet speed varies across the United States. Americans who live in urban areas have access to speeds unavailable to many of those who live in rural America. It is left up to rural broadband carriers to make the investments needed to close the gap.
Highlighting the important role played these carriers, a new Hudson Institute report, The Economic Impact of Rural Broadband, has determined that the industry has a direct annual economic impact in excess of $24 billion. Rural broadband further supports more than $100 billion in e-commerce, manufacturing, and retail sales.
On Wednesday, April 20, Hudson Institute hosted a discussion about closing the urban-rural gap. Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Hanns Kuttner presented the new report. Joining him to discuss the industry’s impact and prospects were Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association; Nancy White, CEO of a rural broadband company in Lafayette, Tenn.; rural broadband consultant Leo Staurulakis, and Dusty Johnson, Vice President of Consulting, Vantage Point Solutions.
Related Events
30 - 03
April - May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Era of Rivalry: American Power and the Contemporary World Order | Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
Featured Speakers:
Peter Campbell
Rachel Mackey
Mike Watson
30 - 03
April - May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Era of Rivalry: American Power and the Contemporary World Order | Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
This certificate program is designed to equip policy professionals with a rigorous framework for understanding great power competition and the evolving structure of the international order.
Featured Speakers:
Peter Campbell
Rachel Mackey
Mike Watson
01
May 2026
Virtual Event | Online Only
The Triumph of Economic Freedom: A Conversation with Phil Gramm
Featured Speaker:
Senator Phil Gramm
Moderator:
John P. Walters
01
May 2026
Virtual Event | Online Only
The Triumph of Economic Freedom: A Conversation with Phil Gramm
Senator Gramm will discuss the book’s findings, how economic freedom drives human flourishing, and why conventional wisdom about capitalism deserves a second look.
Featured Speaker:
Senator Phil Gramm
Moderator:
John P. Walters
06
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
A Conversation with Former METI Minister Nishimura on Prime Minister Takaichi's Policy Outlook and Solutions
Featured Speakers:
Yasutoshi Nishimura
Kenneth R. Weinstein
06
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
A Conversation with Former METI Minister Nishimura on Prime Minister Takaichi's Policy Outlook and Solutions
On May 6, Hudson Japan Chair Kenneth R. Weinstein will welcome Yasutoshi Nishimura, former head of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to Hudson.
Featured Speakers:
Yasutoshi Nishimura
Kenneth R. Weinstein
30
April 2026
Past Event
Sustaining the Edge: A Conversation with Congressman Ronny Jackson on US-Israel Technology and Security
Featured Speakers:
Joel Rayburn
Congressman Ronny Jackson
30
April 2026
Past Event
Sustaining the Edge: A Conversation with Congressman Ronny Jackson on US-Israel Technology and Security
Please join Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran and Congressman Ronny Jackson (R-TX) for a discussion on the congressman’s recently introduced United States-Israel Framework for Upgraded Technologies, Research, and Enhanced Security Act and the strategic importance of the US-Israel partnership.
Featured Speakers:
Joel Rayburn
Congressman Ronny Jackson
Related Research
Caption
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Caption
Dock workers offload shipping containers from a ship at Port Everglades on April 20, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Getty Images)
Caption
The A-share Shanghai Composite Index displayed on the electronic screen of a pedestrian overpass in Shanghai, China, on March 25, 2026. (Getty Images)