Connectivity or Backwardness: The Future of Rural Areas Depends on Digital Infrastructure

In the age of artificial intelligence, nearshoring, and service automation, talking about development without talking about digital connectivity is only telling half the story. For Mexico and the United States, optimizing communication networks in rural areas is not just a matter of social justice—it’s a strategic issue of binational competitiveness. Isolated municipalities without access to quality internet are being left out of commerce, education, healthcare, and democratic participation, creating a divide that threatens to become a chasm.

Throughout 2024, both countries accelerated efforts to close that gap. In Mexico, the Internet para el Bienestar program, led by CFE Telecomunicaciones e Internet para Todos, brought 4G coverage to over 72,000 rural localities, representing an 84.5% increase compared to the 65,000 communities connected in 2023, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT). However, only 53% of rural households actually have internet access, highlighting a significant disparity compared to the 90% in urban areas. Across the border, the United States allocated over $42 billion in 2024 through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, focusing on sparsely populated states like Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Stanford University and the University of California have reported that although rural access has improved, service quality remains inconsistent, particularly in Indigenous and border communities.

The challenge is not merely technological—it is structural and political. Investment in digital infrastructure must be accompanied by a legal framework that recognizes access as a human right, promotes public-private investment, and sets clear rules for binational cooperation in rural telecommunications. Despite recent agreements between the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. and Mexico’s Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) to prevent frequency interference along the border, joint implementation remains slow. Northern Mexican rural areas, especially in Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora, could become strategic for regional supply chains if fully connected, but still rely on fragile connectivity systems.

Economically, studies from the World Bank and ITAM agree that a 10% improvement in broadband connectivity in rural areas can increase local GDP by up to 1.4% annually. Furthermore, the digitization of public services and the use of online education tools could cut municipal operating costs by up to 25%, strengthening local governments on both sides of the border.

Looking ahead to 2025, the greatest challenge won’t be technological—it will be coordination. Infrastructure already exists or is on its way, but what’s missing is a metropolitan and interstate vision to align regional efforts. For Mexico, this means decentralizing digital policy to the municipal level and equipping local governments with technical capacity and independent budgets to manage connectivity projects. For the United States, the challenge lies in ensuring that federal funds truly reach the most underserved communities rather than getting stuck at intermediate levels of government.

In addition, both nations must coordinate frequency usage, align technical regulations, and establish cross-border digital corridors that allow the free flow of data without compromising national technological sovereignty. Rural connectivity can no longer be treated as an accessory issue. It is, in fact, the backbone of a more equitable, resilient binational economy—one that is better prepared to face a decade shaped by climate change, digital migration, and life automation.

The choice is clear: either we invest in closing the rural digital divide, or we condemn millions to remain off the map of progress. Connectivity is no longer a luxury—it’s the new oxygen of the 21st century.

Written by: Editorial