Rural areas are among the last to get affordable broadband, an essential tool for schools and business. In Carter County, TN,  at the foothills of the Appalachians, a proactive community is working to put the resource in place.

The group is among the first local organizations to help realize the  goals of a state initiative known as Trails to Innovation. Organized by Connected Tennessee, the initiative aims to bring high-speed Internet to every home school, organization and business in the state.

The Carter County eCommunity Leadership Team is dedicated to making more technology available locally. More than a dozen local leaders already are involved in the group. With assistance from Connected Tennessee, they are evaluating the current state of technology in the county to determine what improvements are needed and to devise a plan for achieving those goals.

"Technology opens the door to the future," said Carter County Mayor Johnny Holder. "From healthcare to education, agriculture to business -- everything we do now, we can do better, faster and more efficiently. Making broadband technology a reality for the citizens of this county places a world of opportunities at their fingertips. With Carter County having four colleges or affiliates and several large companies recently locating here, high-speed Internet is crucial to our future."

A local article on the group invites community members to join by representing agriculture, business and industry, community-based organizations, government, healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, libraries, parks and recreation and tourism. The plan is prominent on the county website.

Source: Elizabethton Star, Broadband technology coming to Carter County