A recent story in the Washington Post (registration required, unfortunately) discusses how the lack of broadband is hurting business and employee recruitment in rural areas. Here is a key statement from the Telework Consortium, a group that helps businesses set up work from home programs.
"I think Loudoun County needs to look at broadband as being another utility as important as electricity and the telephone."
Businesses today are making relocation decisions based on the availability of affordable broadband, and that is not just broadband availability in business parks. Companies want employees to have access to business systems from home, and that means broadband.
Think of it another way. If the CEO of business prospect can't find affordable broadband in the town or area where he or she will live if the business moves, the business probably is going to go somewhere else.