Baltimore’s redlining legacy has lasting impact, residents tell FCC

Representatives of the Federal Communications Commission visited Baltimore to hear about residents’ experience of digital discrimination in the city. Some said the city’s past continues to affect technology access today. Some residents told the FCC that the city’s majority-Black population is concentrated in areas where internet service is slow. Others said multi-generational households often lack the funds to pay for high-speed internet service. Other speakers shared anecdotes about households sharing devices, making it more difficult to access medical appointments, public services, and education. The event was one of a series of listening sessions planned by the FCC’s Task Force to Prevent Digital Discrimination, a term used to describe circumstances in which internet service providers deny broadband access for reasons other than technical or economic difficulties. Baltimore officials and residents said the city continues to face steep connectivity issues, even with initiatives like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).