Call For New Federal Partnership On Broadband Access In California

Access to high-performance broadband is a civil rights issue according to Broadband for America Now, a report from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. An initial 2019 report, Broadband for America’s Future: A Vision for the 2020s, was updated to reflect new developments but changed direction as the COVID-19 pandemic made access to broadband essential as work, education and even healthcare moved online, leaving behind low-income and underserved populations. “We know that within this crisis, there’s been what we might think about as a ‘broadband breakthrough,’” said Benton Senior Fellow Jonathan Sallet. “People are using broadband as never before if and when they have access to it. And the fact that so many people don’t, creates not just a digital divide, but a digital chasm.” Sallet spoke about why policy makers, including the new administration, Congress, those at the state, tribal and local level need to devote their time and attention to this issue while they tackle many other large societal issues (COVID-19, income inequality and social justice).