Cable vs. streaming in rural areas

[FirePuppy]

According to some user named "22ndCenturyMan":

"The US is a massive country (the most-populated developed country) and very spread out. As of 2023, 42 million Americans still don’t have access to broadband at all, and even if they do, it’s not equally developed in every area of the country. Rural areas are underdeveloped in this regard. Not everybody can access streaming and, while people in rural areas and on fixed incomes often use library DVDs to watch media, there aren’t DVDs of the last three seasons. Cable-cutters can pirate the show if it’s not on streaming, but people without broadband can’t."

According to Google AI:

"Cable television adoption in rural areas is notably lower compared to urban areas, with streaming services becoming more prevalent. A significant factor is the higher cost and infrastructure challenges associated with extending cable networks to remote locations. While some rural residents still rely on cable, many are turning to streaming services due to affordability and the availability of high-speed internet alternatives."

I am totally confused and can't tell which of the two is correct. Anyone know?

 

[RandomMe]

I voted for 22ndCenturyMan, though I'm curious to see how other countries face this problem.

 

[Red Arrow]

They can both be correct. They don't contradict each other.

More Than a Third of Americans Have Access to One or No Broadband Provider

The 2024 Communications Marketplace Report provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the communications marketplace. Here, we focus on the findings on the fixed broadband market.

www.benton.org

More Than a Third of Americans Have Access to One or No Broadband Provider

Consumers access the Internet through a variety of fixed technologies, including cable broadband service, copper (including Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP), terrestrial fixed wireless service, and satellite service. These services differ in their availability, and also in characteristics, such as speed, latency, reliability, and price. Although satellite internet access service is available to all U.S. households (127.3 million), just 2 million households subscribed to satellite service as of the end of 2023. Similarly, fixed-wireless internet access service is available to over 83 percent of U.S. households (106.3 million) but only 6.8 million households subscribe to such service. Wireline broadband service is available to nearly 96 percent of U.S. households (122.2 million) and nearly 92 percent of households (112 million) pick cable-, fiber-, or copper-based when available.

There is unfortunately something wrong with their numbers. If 96% equals 122.2 million, then 92% can't equal 112 million.

The U.S. Digital Divide Is Shrinking, But Nearly 8 Million Households Remain Offline

America’s offline population fell from 27M to 7.9M in a decade, showing record gains in internet access and shrinking digital gaps.

www.reviews.org

Findings of 2022 ACS survey at a glance: Around 11.5 million (8.8%) of U.S. households don’t have home internet, and 4.3% don’t have a computer.