Seeking solutions for 60 million Americans who lack home Internet

An estimated 60 million Americans lack Internet access at home. More Americans than ever rely solely on their phones for online access, according to the Pew Research Center. But being smartphone reliant poses many challenges. People who connect to the Internet using only their phones are more likely than others to hit data caps that, in turn, limit how much they can do online, or the added charges could make the phones prohibitively expensive, according to Pew.

Of those who do not have broadband Internet service at home, nearly half cited cost as a reason, and most are people of color or from low-income households. Nearly half the students surveyed recently by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation were unable to complete a homework assignment because they lacked Internet access. “In research and policy, you often hear the phrase ‘willingness to pay,’ like what would people be willing to pay for Internet access,” said Colin Rhinesmith, an assistant professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma who has done significant research on the digital divide. “But it’s not about a willingness to pay, it’s an ability to pay. For a lot of people in this country, the choice really is between Internet and food for the week.”

Amid mounting pressure from politicians and activists, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote soon to update a program designed to provide low-cost access to phones for people who qualify. A $1.6 billion government program known as Lifeline, established in 1985, provides a monthly subsidy to 13 million eligible families to underwrite phone lines. In 2005, the program expanded to include mobile phones.

[Colin Rhinesmith is the Benton Faculty Research Fellow]