Sustainable Development in the Rural U.S. Midwest: The M-Commerce Solution

Abstract

Economic and social sustainability represent a major problem in the rural Midwest U.S. Midwest local economies lost numerous jobs in the last decades and the majority of businesses that once thrived in these areas. The quality of life is slowly decreasing. As a consequence, a new migration of population happened in the rural Midwest, thousands of small towns have shrunk or disappeared altogether. The paper analyzes the sustainability of the rural economy and identifies a possible solution for reversing the actual downward economic and social trend. Results of analyzing responses to the survey administrated to over 900 small and medium sized businesses in a rural Midwest region are investigated. Expansion of wireless business might reverse the economic trend, bring back businesses and achieve sustainability. Government involvement is critical for the success of the new strategy.