5 Opportunities that High-Speed Internet Creates for Middle Tennesseans
United Communications is on a mission to bring high-speed internet access to every resident and business in Williamson and Maury County. As a 75-year-old local communications company founded to help residents and businesses connect with one another, United Communications has seen the positive impact new technological advances can have on our local communities.
Today, high-speed internet has become one of the most essential resources in our history—so important that our Project UNITE initiative was specifically created with the goal of providing high-speed internet to every unserved home or business in Middle Tennessee.
While you might think access to high-speed internet is a given, there are still rural and suburban areas across our state where high-speed internet is not yet available. As a trusted local internet service provider for tens of thousands of people in Williamson and Maury counties, here are a few specific opportunities that a high-speed internet connection creates for residents, businesses, and local governments:
1. High-Speed Internet Allows for Remote Work
The number of businesses that have adopted a remote or hybrid work model has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a necessity has shifted to become a normal part of business. In fact, 57% of small and medium-sized businesses plan to offer remote work plans to employees for the long term.
In order to work from home, employees need their internet connection to be fast and reliable. Everyday work responsibilities such as video conferencing, interacting on live cloud-hosted documents, or sharing photos and videos require a stable high-speed internet connection.
2. High-Speed Internet Increases Career Opportunities in Rural Areas
Right now, there are more than 1 million people in Tennessee who don’t have access to high-speed internet. Most of them live in suburban or rural areas. Providing residents with access to high-speed internet increases new employment opportunities within these rural areas because it opens up opportunities for remote work — whether its working for a company in a different city or being able to work from home for a local company. In addition to supporting businesses that already exist, access to high-speed internet also attracts remote workers who want to establish firm roots in new communities.
3. High-Speed Internet Enhances Educational Opportunities
Equal access to education is impossible without equal access to broadband. Over the past few years, access to high-speed internet has had a powerfully transformative and positive impact on education—online and in the classroom. With high-speed internet in the classroom, students of all ages can interact with digital models, watch instructional videos, view new data, and research the topic they’re studying.
In addition to supporting student needs, high-speed internet also allows lifelong learners to earn new certifications, maintain their credentials with online CPE credits, or learn skills in an entirely new field.
4. High-Speed Internet Makes Telehealth Accessible
Telehealth has become much more common in recent years. In fact, telehealth visits have increased by 38% since 2019. This shift has created enormous benefits for both patients and doctors. Rather than having to drive long distances for a doctor's appointment, patients can now attend necessary visits online.
Virtual healthcare also opens up access to specialists outside of a patient’s local area. It also enables doctors and hospitals to work more efficiently and preserve healthcare resources. Making telehealth accessible in under-served communities is only possible with high-speed internet.
5. High-Speed Internet Bolsters Local Economic Development
When you create opportunities for residents and individual businesses, the entire community benefits. Towns with high-speed internet have significantly higher economic strength and health than towns with fewer high-speed gigabit connections. High-speed internet opens up economic development for communities in a variety of ways: from supporting businesses to powering the work and connection of local governments.
United’s Mission to Create More Opportunities for Local Communities
As a local company, we’ve seen the tangible impact that high-speed internet has on residents and businesses in our community. Whether it’s a local business in Spring Hill or a young family with parents that work remotely, there’s no denying how access to high-speed internet allows people to work more effectively and live more efficiently.
If you want to benefit from all the opportunities that broadband allows, see if your area has access to our high-speed internet solutions at www.United.net/internet. You can also learn more about Project UNITE and join our effort to bring high-speed internet access to every Middle Tennessean at United.net/project-unite.
