Field of Dreams Revisited: Economic Development and Telecommunications in LaGrange, Georgia

Rural communities are entering the telecommunications business to leverage telecommunications infrastructure for economic development. They face challenges in obtaining advanced infrastructure comparable to that in urban areas as well as in using it as an economic development tool. This article examines the process of obtaining advanced telecommunications infrastructure and the extent to which economic development outcomes followed through a case study of rural LaGrange, Georgia. The experiences of LaGrange suggest that an initial fiscally conservative investment approach to entering into telecommunications service provision as a rural municipality appears to be sound, given supportive public policies, municipality experience in the public utilities business, and private sector partnerships.