1、Closing the Digital Divide&Growing Local Economies Across the U.S.Regional Wireless Providers:2As both rivals and collaborators with larger providers,regional operators face a delicate balancing act.Vying to offer the best coverage and service for local customers,they also build strong partnerships

2、with larger providers to give their subscribers the nationwide coverage customers expect when they leave their network footprint.Importantly,they also provide coverage for nationwide operators when their customers enter rural markets.Regional providers are key to achieving the wireless industrys eff

3、orts to fully close the digital divide,offering mobile services,and in some cases,fixed services,in some of the most remote areas of the countrysuch as Alaska,Eastern Kentucky,Wyoming,and on tribal lands,including those of the Navajo,Hopi,Zuni,and White Mountain Apache nations,and more.In many insta

4、nces,wireless connectivity is the only option available,or the lowest cost,or the most efficient means to reach these customers.This much-needed connectivity allows kids to get their homework done via mobile Wi-Fi hotspot or smartphone.It connects people in an emergency and in cases where they may n

5、ot see another person for miles.Strong wireless service is also essential to supporting and attracting the local businesses,educational institutions,hospital systems,and industries that are the bedrocks of rural communities.But offering competitive wireless service to sparse populations scattered ac

6、ross challenging terrains and sometimes extreme climates is very difficult.To start,government regulations,while important,can be costly and impair providers networks if they do not receive the right support and resources.And with a limited customer base,regional providers face funding obstacles whe