Rural America on the wrong side of the digital divide

Take a drive through Hamilton County, Kansas, population 2,500, and you know you are in the heart of rural America. Hamilton County has an abundance of many things - wheat, sorghum and dairy, for starters - but broadband isn't one of them. And that's a scary prospect when participation in the modern economy simply demands good internet service.

Policymakers, trade associations and private companie...