The People Left Behind in a Broadband World

A photo essay by Liz Moughon.

As Americans anticipate the arrival of 5G wireless technology—with superfast data-transmission speeds expected to enable everything from superior home internet service to long-imagined technological advances like self-driving cars—it’s easy to forget that millions of people across the US still have no broadband internet access in their homes. In these photos, the toll that such a disconnect takes on people in southeastern Ohio is clear, from students to working people to business owners.

• Broadband Access for Students: Elijah Byrd, 16, a junior at Federal Hocking High School, uses a $55 unlimited data card for his phone, purchased for him monthly by his grandmother. Until recently, Libby Hall, 13, traveled 30 minutes with her mother after school to Ohio University where she could use the internet for schoolwork.
• Business Drawbacks: The Snowville Creamery dairy farm in Pomeroy (OH) faces operational obstacles without access to reliable internet service. With access to broadband, its owners could process data from bar codes on the company’s products as orders are fulfilled, allowing the farm to streamline shipping and inventory tracking and make mistakes less likely. 
• Teaching sustainable living without Broadband: Jay and Annie Warmke live in a home made from mud, tires, wood, glass bottles and cans. They are committed to educating others about sustainable living, which they do in part by giving tours of their property. But the lack of broadband at home makes spreading their message more difficult—the internet access they have can’t support file uploads or downloads or video calls. "If your motivation was to promote the economic activity in rural America, this would be the place you would start. There’s a lot of us—we’re just not clustered in one location," said Jay Warmke.