The Federal Communications Commission came out with a new report this week, stating 19 million Americans still lack access to broadband internet.

A large number of those people are in rural areas, like the many we have here in East Texas.

The East Texas Council of Governments is pushing to help change that in the near future, by starting up a coalition of local businesses to help get funding to bring high speed internet to more rural areas locally.

David Cleveland with the organization says the reasons go beyond providing access for individuals, but also because of the advantages it brings for local economic development.

so why is it so difficult for these internet companies to provide high speed internet out in these areas?

"If you were a business, where would you want to invest your money? In Dallas-Fort Worth? In Houston? Where there's a significant population base and significant return on your investment," said Cleveland. "Or in East Texas ... where that opportunity is significantly less?

Cleveland says he believes there is an important role for the government to work with business leaders to offer high speed internet in more rural areas.

For the full details of this recent FCC report, click here.