Statement to the Reimagine New York State Commission

Inclusion is at the foundation of communications policy in this country. The Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 both rest on the notion that advanced communications networks should be universally available and affordable. The COVID-19 pandemic shows that there is still more to be done to adapt these policy principles to the internet age. In just two decades, having the internet at home has gone from being a toy for hobbyists to an indispensable tool for commerce, education, and connectedness. Yet many people – low-income and communities of color especially – remain without high-speed internet at home. A decade ago, the “cost of digital exclusion” began to be apparent. By the late 2000s, a growing number of employers were taking job applications exclusively online. For the one-third of Americans in 2010 without broadband at home, the right job was perhaps out of reach. Fast forward ten years, and what was once a costly inconvenience is now a debilitating deficiency. The COVID-19 pandemic has put digital exclusion into the spotlight.  Being without online connectivity limits or prevents access to education, health care, government services, and contact with loved ones. When the pandemic fades, concern about digital equity will not. High levels of unemployment and job displacement will make developing workforce skills a priority; job training resources are steadily moving online. The need for telehealth and online education may decline, but these modes of service delivery will persist. A sluggish economy will make it hard for some segments of the population to maintain home high-speed subscriptions. This puts the onus on stakeholders to think long-term in developing sustainable programs to meet connectivity challenges.

[John B. Horrigan is a frequent contributor to Benton's Digital Beat and a Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute, with a focus on technology adoption, digital inclusion, and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of programs designed to promote communications technology adoption and use. Horrigan is also currently a consultant to the Urban Libraries Council.]