Mark DeFalco
Telecommunications Initiative Manager
Appalachian Regional Commission

When John F. Kennedy visited Appalachia during the 1960 presidential campaign, he was shocked by what he described as “the hungry children  €¦ the old people who cannot pay their doctors bills, the families forced to give up their farms.” He vowed to do something about it. Since that famous visit by Kennedy, the Appalachian region of the United States — hard hit by the loss of mining jobs and steep population declines — has been a prime focus of public-private programs to alleviate poverty and spur economic development.  

The Appalachian Regional Commission, which grew out of the “War on Poverty” programs of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, has built an impressive array of economic development programs to assist the region. Among these is the Information Age Appalachia telecommunications and information technology program, which promotes the development of telecommunications in the region.

The payoff of the technology push has been remarkable. In more than 250 projects over the past four years, ARC can point to 2,600 jobs created and 2,100 jobs retained, and more than 20,000 workers who have improved their skills.

ARC has seeded a number of training activities, working with the region’s universities and community colleges, to boost the technology skills of tomorrow’s workers. The Interactive Digital Technology Center for Excellence at Ohio University is training students to design, program, and test interactive computer games and software that have applications in education, gaming, and business product development. Sophisticated computer gaming is now a $7 billion business, and is projected to create an average of 150,000 new jobs per year. The center will increase Appalachia’s ability to capture a significant number of the new jobs in this industry. The program operates in partnership with Shawnee State University and Washington State Community College.

Much of ARC’s funding has gone for telecommunications applications that enable communities to capitalize on broadband access. Distance learning, telemedicine/telehealth, workforce development, and e-government activities frequently garner Commission support. By demonstrating concrete uses of technology, these application-oriented projects also help generate increasing demand for technology within the community. This increased demand, when coupled with other telecommunications activities in the community, frequently spurs private competition and enhanced service.

Advanced technology is a common component in ARC’s workforce development projects, which often feature engineering, computer-aided design, and health technology. With ARC support, for example, the community colleges that serve Appalachian South Carolina have significantly upgraded their technology offerings, in part to capitalize on the region’s growing automotive industry.

Slightly more than half of ARC’s telecommunications projects have included a telemedicine or telehealth component, often linking rural clinics with the medical staffs and resources of more urban hospitals. These grants improve access to health care, reduce health care costs, and improve the quality of health care by facilitating collaboration between general practitioners in rural settings and specialists in more urban environments.

For example, the Medical and Government Internet Coalition Network (MAGICnet) at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, provides rural physicians and government officials access to local services, state resources, and global connectivity through the Internet. Physicians can access patient education materials online and print and disseminate them to their patients.

In economically distressed Pickens County, Alabama, emergency services, including fire, police, and emergency health services, are now state-of-the-art, thanks to the installation of wireless telecommunications equipment in 25 emergency vehicles. Nearly 5,000 calls a month are routed through the county’s communication center, which sends the appropriate vehicle to the exact location using satellite mapping software and wireless technology. It is estimated that the new dispatch system will improve response time by 25 percent and reduce the number of deaths by 10 percent. The system will also help to coordinate fire, police, and emergency services throughout the county. Additionally, the FCC will certify the new emergency service as compliant with industry standards.

ARC has also taken a number of steps to boost e-commerce in the region. A grant competition in 2002 focused on helping small arts and crafts businesses boost their sales and income through e-commerce. The ARC-funded Web site of North Carolina’s Handmade in America now lists almost 350 local artists and 100 galleries in its searchable database, along with a robust calendar of craft-related events. The Web site has become the primary site for the burgeoning arts and crafts industry in a multi-state region anchored around western North Carolina.

With the help of ARC and the latest broadband technology, the rural poor in Appalachia are connecting to an array of educational, economic and health services that will empower them to compete and prosper in today’s tech-driven economy. JFK would be proud.