Progress 10/01/06 to 09/29/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Purpose: This project brings together literature from technology, communication, and business within the context of rural communities to investigate steps for closing the digital divide with regard to broadband technologies. It is designed to be a platform from which e-commerce training will be made available to Vermont agriculture and agriculture-related businesses. Significant accomplishments: Two articles in process (The State of Broadband in Vermont & Broadband in Rural Vermont) Result Dissemination: Report to stakeholders Pursuits for Next Year: None planned PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Major Findings/Conclusions: 1) There are several available technologies for Vermonters to connect to Broadband 2) There are a range of reasons why Vermonters believe that access to Internet, and especially high-speed Internet, are important to business and personal endeavors 3) There is some indication that a limited number of Vermonters fear the impact that a move to online commerce and communication will impact negatively the traditional quality of life and relationships Impact: Results are the foundation of two articles currently being written. Benefit: We hope that, through proliferation of our finding in journal articles and to stakeholders, there will be some consideration of the impacts of pressing e-commerce. Beneficiaries: We hope that the people and organizations of Vermont will benefit from the understanding that there are both pros and cons of Internet communication. In addition, we believe that the policy makers of Vermont will benefit from the information provided in the articles. Need for Assistance: Even before proclamations of Vermont's move to e-state status by Governor Douglas, there have been several agencies working to support Vermonters meeting the challenges of connectivity. This research identifies both those challenges and the available technologies, as well as providing an overview of the concerns of a range of Vermonters regarding a
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
This project lays the foundation for a process approach to closing the digital divide in Vermont. It is designed to be a platform from which future stategic planning related to e-commerce can be done. In particular, researchers will be continuing to evaluate Broadband outreach programs and networks as they pertain to agriculture entrepreneurs, as well as to explore perceptions of Broadband among this key sector of Vermont's economy. Significant accomplishments and outputs that contribute to these goals are 1) the evaluation of the Broadband Roadshow as a tool for diffusion of Broadband and 2) the identification of key data points necessary for any successful evaluation effort: networks and attitudes. Results have been disseminated through presentations to key stakeholders and research networks. Publications are planned but must await additional research. Important activities for next year will be 1) to longitudinally evaluate the impact of the Broadband Roadshow, 2) to
determine through survey and interview methods Agriculture Entrepreneurs' perceptions of Broadband and the barriers to adoption, and 3) to map the online communication network of this key sector.
Impacts
Findings from the first year indicated that the Broadband Roadshow was an effective tool for informing its target audience of the possibilities of Broadband adoption in a state as rural as Vermont. The evaluation raised questions regarding the behavioral impact and longitudinal effects of the Roadshow, as well as the limitation of the data gathered in predicting adoption behavior and in understanding communication networks that would support sustained adoption. The gap in Broadband adoption (aka the digital divide) could potentially be an economic constraint on Vermont's agricultural sector. Results from this research can serve as a process approach to closing the divide, can inform policy makers interested in the equitable distribution of Broadband infrastructure, and most importantly can provide crucial insights for strategic communication in the successful adoption and use of Broadband technology by this target sector. Those potentially benefiting include
individuals and organizations in the Agriculture Entrepreneur sector, those who fund and supply that target sector, and those reliant on the health of this industry. Given the nature of the Vermont economy, that is a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations. These stakeholder's need assistance because of the increasingly competitive nature of the agriculture sector across Vermont, the Northeast, and the US. Opening online markets may be one way to extend business opportunities globally for those agricultural entrepreneurs making Vermont their home.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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