Broadband availability and affordability are crucial for Vermont

The problem of the digital divide isn’t fixed until we address affordability. The digital divide is not a valley you can cross with fiber. The divide isolates low-income families that don’t have economic access to reliable and convenient service. It disadvantages their children in public education and requires that they incur the cost to travel for low-paying work. It makes it difficult if not impossible to access benefits and opportunities. If we hope to piece together our fractured democracy, we must not isolate financially challenged Americans by leaving them disconnected.  We are not connected until everyone can be online. 

[Holly Groschner, a former partner at Downs Rachnlin Martin, a telecommunications lawyer with 30 years of experience, and the chair of the board at Equal Access to Broadband. She recently retired as president and CEO of Vermont PBS]