Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Internet: Closing the Digital Divide

The digital divide in America has never been more apparent than it has in the face of COVID-19. Disparities which already existed due to economic and geographic factors have only become further exacerbated in recent months. As more individuals work remotely and families navigate distance learning for their children, the need for access to broadband internet in all areas of the US is abundantly clear. The question now begs to be answered: should internet access be a basic human right? Jonathan Sallet, Senior Fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, explains, "These are problems that existed for a long time but what this crisis has done is fast-forward us into a broadband future...This crisis has shown us that we have multiple digital divides and that they threaten to become a digital chasm - a really big problem as broadband becomes absolutely essential to participation in American society."