A Cyber Economy: The Transactional Value of the Internet in Rural America
This report, produced by iGR, a market strategy consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile communications industry, and commissioned by the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS). The report examines the nature of transactions that happen over the internet and attempts to quantify the value of those transactions.
Major findings include: • Internet usage among urban and rural consumers is largely similar • Rural consumers are responsible for approximately 15.5% of all consumer, internet-driven transactions annually— more than 10.8 billion internet-driven transactions altogether • The estimated value of those rural online transactions is nearly $1.4 trillion—or 7% of the U.S.’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) • Internet-driven transactions drive nearly 50% of United States GDP, or $9.6 annually. These transactions are estimated to grow to more than 65% by 2022, to $14 trillion per year