High-speed broadband is not evenly distributed. Rural areas with populations scattered across the land get left behind because of the high cost of connecting them. But they are hardly alone. Small communities located next to big ones can suffer, too, because the big city offers such a tempting opportunity to network operators in search of profit. One prosperous American city faced that challenge – and found an affordable way to overcome it that also transformed its economy for the better.

This excerpt from Connectivity: Foundation of Digital Opportunity tells the story of Hilliard, Ohio, a small city bordering on a state capital. A relatively small investment in a core network of dark fiber changed the investment case for network operators and jump-started property development while shaving costs from the municipal budget. The full course is available on ICF’s learning management platform: free for employees of ICF member communities and for a discount to members of EDAC and EDA.