But consider what the last 25 years have brought to small towns: cheap overnight delivery service, cable television, USA Today, national retail chains, Internet access, cell phone coverage and broadband.

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"Now mobile phone ownership is perhaps 30% of households and cell phone coverage is widespread, " said Sachs, director of the United Nations Millennium Villages Project, which focuses on improving 14 rural villages across 10 African countries as a model for wider prosperity in the region.

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In some instances, coverage may include discounts for cell phone service instead of land lines at primary residences because realistically, cell phone service is less expensive in some areas than traditional service.

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One map we produced showed cell phone towers in the county, and the estimated coverage of those towers.

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If you're trying to find the best cell phone network where you live, don't just rely on carrier coverage maps or speed claims -- which are often based on theoretical maximum output from cell towers.

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However, there's a strong argument that WiFi's limited coverage makes it far less useful than WiMAX (imagine if you could only use your cell phone at home or at a coffee shop).

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