Kelly Bowers, economic development director for Hertford County, N.C., discusses the challenges and opportunities facing her community. She highlights the importance of collaboration across state lines and the need for infrastructure such as broadband and affordable housing to support growth.

Congress allocated $65 billion for broadband in the IIJA, but bridging the digital divide will require cooperation among federal, state and local actors.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will bring billions of dollars to Fifth District states and communities, including small towns and rural areas.

President Tom Barkin shares innovative strategies and success stories from small towns around the Fifth District.

Choptank Electric Cooperative on Maryland's Eastern Shore is an example of how many electric cooperatives are providing broadband service in rural communities.

Tim McGaha of Choptank Electric Cooperative offers his perspective on the company's program to bring broadband Internet to rural communities in Maryland.

President Tom Barkin shares what he learned from conversations with educators and policymakers about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students.

Alex Marré of the Richmond Fed and Anna Read from Pew Charitable Trusts discuss maximizing broadband resources and preview the Broadband Summit on June 8.

This session discussed opportunities to increase broadband access and ways to support both students and teachers in virtual learning.

K-12 remote learning exposes divisions in access to digital resources. A federal broadband service subsidy and new satellite technology may help bridge the gap.

Alex Marré discusses the ongoing challenges of bringing broadband Internet service to everyone who needs it. 

Digital connections have become more important in a time of social distancing, but rural broadband access still lags behind cities.

The digital access "homework gap" most severely affects students in poor households and is compounded in rural areas by a lack of broadband internet infrastructure.

Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin discussed economic differences between small towns and urban areas at the Investing in Rural America conference.

How serious is the digital divide across the country and in the Fifth District? It depends on who you ask.