Virginia District 18 – 2017 Rare piranha plant growing in Rixeyville garden
You know you live in the country when:
- Your kids use up all the internet one day into the cycle (duh, the Xbox updated automatically)
- You can’t respond to a client during a heavy rain storm
- You are so happy you held onto that grandfathered unlimited data plan on your phone
- You go to the library to update your laptop, iPads, smartphones
- Your internet bills are more than your mortgage
- Netflix finally allowing downloads changed your life
Virginia’s 2016 Broadband Demand Campaign Report clearly shows that rural Virginians rely upon technologies that are expensive, usually with data caps and have limited ability to meet future bandwidth demands. This impacts both our ability to provide high quality education and keep and attract business and entrepreneurs.
The economy is the biggest reason why we need access to high quality, affordable broadband in District 18 and all of rural Virginia TODAY. Neglect the internet at your peril.
To illustrate, I want to share the story of the Serbian Crown, a well-known Northern Virginia restaurant. It was a beloved 40-year old restaurant serving cuisine that once only European kings and Russian czars dined upon. Proprietor Rene Bertagna personally greeted guests, taking his time to teach them the pleasures of chilled vodka. Bertagna brought passion to his work and joy to his customers. However, he’ll spend the rest of his life paying for ignoring the internet.
Google Maps relies on people to update local business information. Anyone with a Google+ account can submit a change to local pages. Unbeknownst to Bertagna, someone listed his business as closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Within months, the Serbian Crown suffered a 75% drop in customers. By the time one of his customers alerted him to the fact that his Google Maps listing was the culprit, Bertagna had closed the Serbian Crown. He has spent the last two+ years suing Google (and losing).
At its best, the internet allows anyone to learn just about anything, anywhere at any time. You can turn to WebMD for personal health questions before going to the doctor, you can go to LegalZoom to decide if you need a lawyer, you can plan a fabulous vacation on the other side of the globe without using a travel agent. You can even figure out how to run for political office in Virginia :).
Modern digital technology has created a democratization of knowledge that has opened opportunities, shifted power dynamics and expanded globalization to a personal level. The result is a perfect opportunity for rural communities and businesses. This is why rural broadband for District 18 needs to be at the very top of the agenda. Put me in the Statehouse and I’ll work hard to make sure the internet works for us!
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