Digital Divide

There’s been much handwringing this year over the prospect of defaults in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program, but very little empirical analysis of the actual extent of default that has occurred to date or data-driven projections of what’s likely to occur in the future. It’s time to dig deeper to figure out what’s going on at the local level. The FCC authorized 379 companies to receive $6 billion in RDOF support over a ten-year term, covering just under 3.5 million locations in 48 states and one territory.

Access to information is riding a turbulent sea of costs, technology shifts, and ever-rising requirements for digital connectivity. Although the notion of information as a foundation of democracy seems commonplace in the United States, it took the COVID-19 pandemic to drive home the disarray of access around the country and across the globe. The broader subject of the “digital divide” has received a lot of attention as a proxy for ideas around digital access. Understanding of the divide has evolved alongside the internet itself.

To explore the expanding role of libraries in providing internet access and promoting digital literacy, this article examines ten libraries in one state that developed Digital Navigator programs. Representing a mix of small and rural as well as metropolitan and large libraries, the libraries’ efforts offer a different philosophy in dealing with digital divide factors. This research investigates how libraries launched Digital Navigator programs, the processes behind developing them, and how they reflect notions of information access.

In March 2021, President Biden announced the American Jobs Plan, a precursor to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act designed to kick-start the U.S. economy amid the global coronavirus pandemic. As part of the announcement, the President made a prophetic statement: “broadband is the new electricity.” Comparing the Internet and electricity connected the dots between a centuries-long experiment in universal access.

On July 18, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on new rules to make the offpremises use of Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile wireless internet services eligible for E-Rate funding. The new rules would take the next step towards modernizing the program to ensure students and library patrons have access to the connectivity needed for a 21st century quality education.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced an update to the Interim Eligible Locations list for use in the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (Enhanced ACAM) mechanism.  Pursuant to the Enhanced A-CAM Order, the Bureau must provide a final report on the Enhanced A-CAM obligations and support amounts no later than December 31, 2025.  The Interim Eligible Locations file is intended to update to Enhanced A-CAM carriers and other stakeholders regarding the status of locations in Enhanced A-CAM service areas based on currently available data.

One in three Americans doesn’t have internet at speeds fast enough to use Zoom. Despite being an essential utility, building out the nation’s internet infrastructure has been largely left to market forces with highly uneven results: 40 million Americans are still waiting to be connected. Large traditional internet service providers have not and will not invest in communities where the economics don’t fit their business models.

Affordable access was top of mind for elected county leaders from across the United States at a roundtable discussion hosted by Cox Communications. Carmen Moore-Zeigler, a commissioner representing District 2 in Alabama’s Montgomery County, stressed that the internet is a key factor when it comes to inspiring young people. Stan Sallee, a Tulsa County Commissioner from Oklahoma serving District 1, echoed similar sentiments.

There’s a huge amount of energy in the fiber broadband ecosystem right now driven largely by the Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) program. But as someone who’s covered telecommunications for three decades, I suspect that we’re nearing the peak of the hype cycle for broadband.

In a meeting with officials at the Federal Communications Commission, Recon Analytics shared results of a survey of 4,000 consumer mobile and 4,000 home internet consumers.