Millions of Americans use the Internet on a regular basis for work or school, to stay in touch with friends, and to shop or find information. But approximately 40 percent of all U.S. homes are not connected to the Internet or have slow “dial-up” technology.
As Americans become more familiar with high-speed Internet’s capabilities (to do things like watch video, listen to music or share photographs), the technology we use needs to keep up. Broadband has already replaced dial-up Internet access as the “essential” technology. But this new technological demand has not closed the digital divide; it has only transformed it into a more challenging problem.
Unequal access
Broadband in America today is not equally accessible. Broadband subscribers are largely middle- or upper-class and living in urban or suburban areas. Poorer communities and communities of color as well as communities in rural settings have been largely left off the grid.
One of the main problems faced by those on the wrong side of the digital divide is the difficulty of participating in civic affairs. Where political discussions and decisions increasingly occur via the Web, there is significant risk that groups without adequate access will be underrepresented in our democracy.
Why Invest in Access?
Laying a nationwide network for high-speed Internet access is estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars at the very least. As our resources are limited in the current economic crisis, our leaders
need to carefully weigh the value of equal Internet access against other demands.
Funding for improved Internet access is a necessary investment in America’s future, if we hope to improve our economic, educational and health care systems and keep the United States competitive globally. Recent studies demonstrate that improving infrastructure generates more jobs, greater business investment, and higher tax revenues. The long-term economic benefits of better Internet infrastructure could justify the investment today.
Options for Better Access
Private Industry. Internet companies have invested billions of dollars in building out new broadband networks into areas where they perceive healthy market demand. They usually seek regulatory
accommodations such as tax incentives from local, state and federal government to connect lower-income or rural communities.
Federal Government. Over the past century, bringing electrical and telephone services to rural areas and building the Interstate highway system required substantial U.S. government subsidies. Government funding has proven to be successful in Canada, England, Japan, South Korea and other developed countries that have adopted broadband access plans. The United States could also consider adopting the type of matching-grant program used in Canada, where the federal government, the province and the network owner each contribute one-third of the funding for every broadband construction project.
Local Communities
Local Communities. Recently, towns and cities have experimented with municipal broadband networks, deploying wireless or fiber networks and other infrastructure to provide Internet access. Cities and communities have also struck agreements with commercial providers to guarantee that they wire low-income neighborhoods, schools, libraries and community centers in exchange for access to streets and power lines.
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