Amazon and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce see potential in rural America — if internet access is improved.
A fifth of rural businesses already sell the majority of their goods and services online—everything from cattle to bed-and-breakfast stays.
But in Kansas, two-thirds of rural businesses have poor internet and cellphone connections.
Amazon and the U.S. Chamber suggest in a new analysis that digital technology improvements could boost sales across rural America.
For Kansas, technology improvements could mean $2.2 billion in additional sales annually. The analysis estimates Nebraska could add nearly $1.2 billion in annual sales each year and Missouri could add more than $1.4 billion.
Corinne Boyer is a reporter based in Garden City for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and HPPR, covering health, education and politics. Follow her on Twitter@Corinne_Boyer.