RuralTeleCon ’06
10th Annual Conference of the Rural Telecommunications Congress
October 22-25, 2006 . Little Rock, Arkansas
Rural America is positioned to benefit economically both through stateside outsourcing and through home-grown “new economy†activity. On the one hand, business outsourcing is beginning to consider coming home because of unstable foreign economies and related political unrest in the world. As an alternative to outsourcing jobs overseas, many companies are now considering locating new plant manufacturing facilities and satellite plant offices in rural areas. On the other hand, high tech entrepreneurs are now locating in rural areas and they are beginning to build and grow “New Economy†businesses in rural settings. Rural communities are now becoming, in many instances, the [only] choice of reason for new business expansion because they offer: the right amenities such as lower cost-of-living, a significantly reduced hassle of lifestyle, a greatly improved labor force, abundant outdoor recreational amenities, lower taxes, and the costs associated with doing business are lower. Communities must have a robust broadband telecommunication services, an innovative / and progressive business culture, and the right mixture of human resource development services to attract rural economic development. Communities have to embrace a culture of change. Rural Telecon '06' will feature: community success stories based around communities that have transitioned themselves using enhanced telecommunication services, Best Case practices, experts on programs and development issues, and what tools are needed in a community’s toolbox that will demonstrate to rural developers / businesses / and others that their community is able to embrace the new emerging rural economic activities needed to support today’s economic development.