24 Million Americans Don't Have Access to Broadband—Why Isn't It an Election Issue?

Few candidates, from local mayoral races all the way up to the Senate, provide lip service to the fact that millions of Americans still lack access to broadband, and even fewer flesh out a robust policy to address it. At a time when politics is more divisive than ever, basic issues such as access to the internet are being overshadowed by the massive ideological clashes happening across the country.

At the local level, dealing with internet service is inevitable, which means local politicians may have been forced to pay closer attention to the issue. In Colorado, where municipal broadband has become a popular option for many cities, some voters have seen a “trickle up” effect, where politicians at the state level final take notice of what’s happening in local government. “Our lawmakers are starting to wake up to the tactics of the lobbyists for Big Telecom,” said Glen Akins, a Colorado voter and advocate for municipal broadband. “We had a few bills go through state legislature this year that were more angled for needs of consumers, and there was some pushback from the incumbents, but they ultimately made it through the legislation. At the state level, word is getting out to our legislators that people care about this.” The limited number of candidates actually pushing broadband infrastructure as a platform point may provide some case studies. It’s not unheard of for parties to misread what’s important for voters. If broadband-focused candidates find success, it might inspire future races to focus more on an issue that affects so many Americans, particularly in rural areas.