This e-study pulls together materials about an important infrastructure development in rural American at the beginning of the 21st Century. The materials gathered span diverse contexts to map to various learning needs; a few sources provide global framing, some highlight recent federal policy actions including 2010 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and recommendations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and still others highlight state policy or local impact of policy implementation. Crafted in this way, this case provides introductory material for students so that they can engage in this policy issue that raises important questions about public and private roles, citizen access, and market and government failure.