Cheaper or free broadband will not lead to a glut of jobs and a whirlwind of entrepreneurship, but it can be part of a deliberate strategy to improve Piedmonters' access to current resources and a push to business, government, and education sectors to dramatically improve their service.

If working class, rural and newcomer neighborhoods and communities had easier access to accurate information about housing and rental rights, consumer information, legal rights, shopping bargains, etc., they would be able to make better choices about how to spend scarce dollars or prevent wasting huge amounts of time waiting on lines for everything, as most low-income folks are forced to do. Having good information is useful to everyone, but especially to families and individuals who don't have personal bankers, attorney friends, an uncle in the business, primary care physicians, 401k retirement funds, etc. Functional literacy is a huge problem for the Piedmont that threatens to permanently cripple the region. Our educational levels are very, very low compared to the Triangle. Without easy and affordable information access for Piedmonters, it's difficult to imagine how we can expect traditional institutions like schools and libraries to close the gap. The grotesquely inadequate information-referral network within the Piedmont is unable to meet residents' needs.

Broadband by itself for the region? No. Broadband with a clear mission to promote accurate information about what Piedmonters need to know in order to make good decisions for themselves and families? Yes.