May 13, 2019

Why Broadband Access Is More Than An Urban vs Rural Issue

Published by The Hill on May 13, 2019

By G.K. Butterfield

The Internet provides practically infinite economic and educational opportunities for users throughout the world. In our increasingly digital society, one’s ability to utilize the Internet bears greatly on their potential for individual success and upward mobility. Though high-speed Internet has propelled the 21^stcentury economy forward, it hasn’t taken every American along with it. Across our country, 24 million people lack access to high speed Internet, and millions of low-income families simply can’t afford it.

The current disparity in access to broadband is often viewed narrowly as a rural concern; however, urban areas face significant barriers to access as well. In those communities, the obstacles to broadband adoption are most often associated with affordability or digital literacy. While broadband is widely available, the cost of access is often prohibitive, and some residents lack the skills to use the technology effectively. In addition to the adoption problem, many rural communities also lack the infrastructure to consistently access broadband networks, especially through a fixed connection.

Recent analysis by the think tank Third Way also uncovers an ugly truth about the rural broadband gap: it doesn’t impact all communities equally. When it comes to broadband access, communities of color continue to trail behind their white counterparts, even after differences in income are considered. Current research data shows that this gap in connectivity is yet another systemic disadvantage faced disproportionately by people of color.Third Way’s study shows that as a county’s African American population rises, broadband availability drops significantly. This disturbing trend is especially apparent in rural areas. Across the country, nearly 75 percent of rural counties where most of the residents are white have broadband available to them. But average broadband availability is almost 20 percent lower—just 56 percent—in rural counties where a majority of residents are African American. In fact, rural communities that are majority African American tend to have fewer provider options and are more likely to be completely unserved.

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