Millions Of Americans Are Still Missing Out On Broadband Access And Leaving Money On The Table—Here’s Why

Across the country, rural households and low-wage workers are stuck with slow or no internet while the rest of the world moves forward with high-speed broadband. Lack of broadband shuts workers out of jobs. People who live in rural areas without high-speed internet access depend on local coffee shops and other public facilities with high-speed internet to fill in the gap. Beyond work, online healthcare, education, and conveniences like online shopping work best—and sometimes only—with broadband. During the pandemic, these tasks became necessities for many. Millions of people qualify for reduced internet costs but aren't signing up. Broadband has eluded low-income and rural households for one main reason: money. It’s a  thorn for consumers and broadband providers alike. For providers, the challenge is justifying the capital investment to establish rural broadband infrastructure in low-density areas with fewer subscribers. While the federal government poured billions into expanding internet access to low-income and rural households, there are still road bumps to achieving connectivity. A recent survey by Education Superhighway found that the greatest hurdle for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment is awareness: an astonishing 75% of people in many communities don’t know this program exists. On a national level, the adoption rate is 25%, but the rate of adoption fluctuates sharply by state. Additionally, monopolies drive up the price of internet services. More than 200 million Americans only have a choice between two ISPs, according to a White House fact sheet. In these markets, consumers may pay up to five times more than those living in areas with more options for broadband providers.