1. Monthly archive
  2. December 2018

December 2018

Libraries Evolve to Bridge Digital Divide

Income is the largest determinant of whether or not someone has access. Only 67 percent of households with less than $25,000 in income have access to a computer, and only 51.7 percent of them have access to internet. In comparison, households making between $50,000 and $99,999 had 93.9 percent of households with a computer and 86.2 percent with internet access. Income can determine whether a community needs to rely on the library for internet access. Rural communities with more low-income people have less home internet access.

Groups call for FTC Action to Protect Children and Families

A coalition of 22 consumer and public health advocacy groups led by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and sanction Google for the deceptive marketing of apps for young children.

Gov Northam (D-VA) Announces Major Investment to Accelerate Virginia’s Progress Towards Universal Broadband Access

Gov Ralph Northam (D-VA) announced his proposed budget will feature major investments in Virginia in support of broadband infrastructure, the first installment of a historic commitment to expanding access to all unserved Virginians. The governor’s proposal would increase funding for the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI), a program that incentivizes internet service providers to expand their service to Virginians that are unserved, to $50 million in Fiscal Year 2020. The funding would be a significant increase to the $4 million already appropriated on an annual basis.

Broadband on the Brain

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), one of several Democratic lawmakers mulling a 2020 presidential bid, thinks Democrats could “run on” and even “win on” wonky-but-important talk about issues like rural broadband. Sen Klobuchar told The New Yorker that while the issue might not be on the radar for “most people in urban areas … a lot of parts of our rural countryside can’t even access cell-phone service, much less broadband.” But would that matter as a campaign issue in the age of Trump, who has not commented extensively on issues like broadband?

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