Why Internet Access is a Human Right -- And What We Can Do About It

A recent discussion at the University of Virginia, Addressing Barriers to Equitable Distance Learning, focused on how lack of internet access affects education, but also highlighted impacts related to health care, the economy and more. In an introduction, School of Education and Human Development Dean Bob Pianta outlined a “profound digital divide” that affects communities across the US, particularly low-income areas – both rural and urban – and communities of color. “The pandemic has exposed the realities and inequities of the digital divide,” he said. “The homework gap is now an education gap, with countless students lacking the most basic tool needed to connect with the educational process.” The event's panelists were  Larry Irving, a former administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under President Clinton; Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), who has led the legislative effort in the House of Representatives to ensure students have internet access during the pandemic; and newly appointed Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Three takeaways from the conversation: 1) Internet Access Is an Essential Utility, 2) Lack of Internet Isn’t Just a Rural Problem, and 3) Now Is the Right Time to Act.