Can We Close the Digital Divide?

In the 1930s, not having radio access was considered a nearly insurmountable disadvantage. Owning a radio meant a citizen was informed, educated, and entertained. By the end of World War II, 95 percent of US households had radios. Seventy-five years later, the equivalent is Internet access, and the numbers are alarming.

According to the FCC’s Eighth Broadband Progress Report, approximately 19 million Americans—6 percent of the population—still lack access to fixed broadband service at threshold speeds. In rural areas, nearly one-fourth of the population —14.5 million people—lack access to this service. In tribal areas, nearly one-third of the population lacks access. Even in areas where broadband is available, approximately 100 million Americans still do not subscribe. Microsoft’s research puts the number at 163 million Americans due to the problematic “mapping” methodology currently used by the FCC to measure access and penetration.

Broadband has yet to reach the level of household penetration the radio had in the 1940s. With our current reality of living in a pandemic, the digital divide is taking center stage in education, work, health, and life. In my home state of Ohio, over 1 million people lack high-speed broadband access.

This is a challenge for both rural and urban populations. We assume that where there is a city, there is fiber, and where there is fiber, there is broadband access. Not so. While the infrastructure exists, residents in lower-income urban areas lack connectivity. In Cleveland, 51 percent of homes with annual incomes below $20,000 lack Internet access. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have built out the infrastructure, but they’ve stopped short of reaching that last mile to the home. Unlike rural areas that lack basic fiber infrastructure, city access is limited by aging infrastructure, prohibitive costs, and inconsistent data that reports “low demand” for access in the city’s poorest sections. This has justified ISPs’ lack of investment in modernizing infrastructure and making access ubiquitous. Cleveland’s ever-increasing demand and needs are further unmet due to lack of affordability: rates are out of range for most, contracts are restrictive, and there’s often little or no choice in providers.

Also contributing to the digital divide is “mapping,” which shows who is connected, who is not, and most importantly, what is available. The primary flaw with mapping is that if an ISP offers service to at least one household in a census block, then the FCC counts that entire block as being covered by that provider. This is the flaw that Microsoft’s research attempts to highlight and fix.

A recent Pew Research Center survey reveals this stark divide. Among adults with annual household incomes below $30,000, nearly 30 percent don’t own a smartphone, while 46 percent don’t have a computer, and 44 percent don’t have broadband service. Yet in households with annual earnings of $100,000 or more, 64 percent have access to broadband services and own multiple devices.

The digital divide during the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected education. Schools and colleges around the country closed in March, and while many were able to partially fill the digital divide by loaning students devices and other technology, it hasn’t been enough. Many students dropped out of high school. For many college students, completing the semester meant driving to their school’s parking lot or to a Starbucks to get a Wi-Fi connection to participate in remote learning. Widespread broadband access—regardless of economic status—is needed during and beyond the COVID-19 era to ensure online education is accessible to everyone regardless of economic status. Online learning can work, but only when every student has reliable access to the Internet and tools that deliver a virtual classroom that rivals the traditional one.

It is encouraging that the “new normal” has brought more focus on the digital divide. Lawmakers in Washington, DC have taken renewed interest and are looking at the billions it would take to close the divide. We’ve seen many step up — higher education institutions providing hotspots and laptops and libraries providing connection and support to communities – but it will take lawmakers to fund the initiatives and fix broadband mapping.

The hope is that the light shone upon the digital divide remains visible so that action is taken. We’ve seen some resolution in moving the issue out of privatized hands to that of communities. Within the city of Cleveland, city blocks have joined to offer free broadband access, major broadband providers now offer prepaid wireless, and local, state and federal governments are recognizing the economic and health benefits of a connected community. This is progress. But we can do better.