There has been a lot of talk, both in government and among non-profit groups, about bringing the web to everyone. Rural areas still struggle with slow connection speeds and a lack of quality service. I’ve been having some problems with my service over the past few days that make me really appreciate what it is to have broadband basically whenever I want it.

I have a pretty cool job. I work from home, I get to write, I do a little programming. All of those things, though, require the internet, and for most I need a pretty fast connection. I’m actually writing this post from my phone. It’s great to have that option, but cellular service is still pretty slow and the data fees are too expensive for a lot of people. It’s also ridiculously cramped typing full posts on a touchscreen keyboard. Tablets could change that, but there’s still the 3G speed cap to deal with and the cost of a monthly data plan.

With the economy still struggling, I can think of few better ways to stimulate rural and low-population areas, areas typically hit hardest by tough economic conditions, than a rollout of affordable, reliable internet service. When service goes down, it’s tough not to immediately start shopping for better broadband deals. At the very least, I could use the reliable connection. Waiting on yet another modem is painful.