Disparity in internet availability: Where should the finger of blame point?

As COVID-19 has shifted life online, residents of towns like Monterey (MA) — they lack internet at home — have had to drive to public Wi-Fi hot spots to stay connected. Disparities in internet access took center stage during the Aug. 18 Massachusetts US Senate debate between incumbent Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and his challenger, Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA). Suggesting that remote learning could bring a "massive divide" without a reallocation of resources, Rep Kennedy pinned the blame for inequities on the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Sen Markey, who has referred to that law as one of his proudest achievements, replied that the act created "tens of thousands" of Massachusetts jobs and established the E-Rate program to support internet access for schools and libraries in low-income and rural communities. The act sought to expand access and lower prices by creating competition in the market, which previously had been dominated by a few near-monopoly providers. While observers largely agree that those goals haven't been achieved, many blame the regulatory failures of the Federal Communications Commission. Proponents of competition claim that the act would have succeeded with better regulatory oversight. Skeptics, though, argue that competition was doomed from the start, advocating instead for heavy regulation of a small number of providers.