The Federal Communications Commission’s Eighth Broadband Progress Report finds approximately 19 million Americans, mostly rural, lack access to high-speed Internet. In Central Appalachia the digital divide is stark: in West Virginia’s McDowell and Mingo Counties, upwards of three-quarters of the population do not have access; in East Kentucky over 50% in Leslie and Breathitt Counties are without it. So why is it so hard to get a good connection in the mountains? What will this mean for the future of our communities? And what can we do to change this situation? WMMT’s Sylvia Ryerson reports.

Photo of the internet connection at Appalshop, the site of constant battles to stay online