Why Rural Communities of Color Are Left Behind: A Call for Intersectional Demographic Broadband Data

Research already shows that existing disparities related to broadband access are not race-neutral. Logically, that means that the analysis of these disparities should also not be race-neutral. Demographic data on broadband deployment is a win-win and will help industry, policy makers, public interest groups, and civil rights organizations create policy solutions that address the digital divide among varied racial groups in rural communities. The notion that the lack of broadband access in rural communities is a racial justice issue is not a radical one and is supported by thorough research. If the Federal Communications Commission fails to recognize this, its data points will continue to leave people of color on the wrong side of the digital divide.

[Alisa Valentin is a Communications Justice Fellow at Public Knowledge]