America is on a mission to connect every community to modern internet service and close the digital divide. Billions of federal and state dollars are currently being dedicated to this cause, as more than 10 million Americans still waiting for reliable internet service.
“Every Last Mile” chronicles the monumental challenges faced by America’s broadband providers to build networks in our most rural and remote communities. NCTA – The Internet & Television Association’s goal was to highlight the daunting work and unforeseen obstacles to underscore the challenge and importance of completing this important mission. By following construction crews in three hard-to-reach locations, “Every Last Mile” offers an intimate look at the significant geographic, logistical, and regulatory challenges that make connecting rural America such a massive undertaking. The film celebrates the feats of engineering and dedicated workforce that won’t stop until every community is connected.
Discussions about creating a docufilm began in 2022 based on two national events – the COVID-19 pandemic, which showcased how critical reliable internet service is to work, school, and life in general, and the historic allocation of $42.5 billion in federal funding for the “Internet for All” initiative to expand internet access to unconnected Americans.
Knowing that the cable industry is solving the monumental challenge of getting every American connected and most people have no idea how hard it is to make it a reality, NCTA went to work to tell the untold story. From there, NCTA, in partnership with its internet service provider members, began scouting rural broadband expansion projects happening around the country for filming. Ultimately, NCTA selected GCI, Mediacom Communications, and Cox Communications construction projects as they connected Alaska, Minnesota, and Arizona communities, respectively.
Baltimore-based filmmaker Lee Morton directed the film. Morton’s directorial approach, using a two-camera setup and a drone, allowed for an organic and unobtrusive capture of the crews' work. The film presents stunning landscape shots and intimate, ground-level footage that together immerses viewers in the day-to-day challenges and triumphs of the teams connecting remote areas to the digital world. The film’s entirely original content, filmed on location without any staged scenes, highlights not only the technical feats but also the human stories behind the infrastructure projects.
The construction and film crews faced numerous challenges related to the uncompromising terrain and weather in the remote locations featured in “Every Last Mile.”
The tight spaces, heavy equipment, and constant movement of workers made for a dynamic shoot, requiring innovative setups and creative camera angles to showcase the scale and precision of the technicians' work.
The project was a huge success for three primary reasons:
Operational
The goal of the film was to highlight the extreme challenges of connecting rural America by focusing on three rural projects. These were real projects with real crews and real deadlines and each community was successfully connected by the time we finished editing the film. The crews deployed 122 miles of fiber to nearly 3,000 previously unserved homes and businesses.
Educational
The docufilm’s compelling narrative has resonated with audiences and key stakeholders, including local and state policymakers, Congress, industry executives, and business leaders.
For the premiere, NCTA partnered with the Washington Post Live for a virtual and in-person screening. The event garnered nearly 13,000 live viewers, mostly from corporate and government organizations. Numerous other screenings followed, including at the National Governors Association and other state groups, on Capitol Hill, plus its release was picked up by several industry news sources. A paid media campaign has driven significant traffic to the film’s landing page.
Powerful
For years, we’ve discussed the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to reliable internet, yet we’ve rarely highlighted why some have yet to be connected. The documentary shines a powerful spotlight on that issue:
