Stories from the Digital Divide

InternetforEveryone.org is working to shed light on the millions of Americans who live without regular Internet access or lack the training or equipment to get online. A small reporting team is traveling to urban and rural communities across the country to tell people's stories. On this site, you can follow our trek from rural North Carolina to urban Los Angeles, Calif., and Washington, D.C.

Having a connection to fast, open and affordable Internet is no longer a luxury – it’s a public necessity. But America is suffering from a “digital divide.” Tens of millions of people – more than 40 percent of the country – can’t get online because they can't afford a connection or can't access high-speed Internet where they live. Consider the facts:

  • Only 35 percent of homes with less than $50,000 in annual income have broadband, while 76 percent of homes earning more than $50,000 per year are connected.
  • Nearly 20 million Americans live in places that are not served by a single broadband provider, while tens of millions more live in places where there is just one provider.
  • Only 40 percent of ethnic minority households subscribe to broadband, while 55 percent of non-Hispanic white households are connected.

Without affordable and available Internet choices, too many people are virtually forgotten in a nation that increasingly demands high-speed access to engage socially, politically and economically. And since 2001, according to the International Telecommunications Union, the United States has fallen from fifth to 22nd place in the world in broadband adoption. Countries in Asia and Europe have greater broadband penetration, and enjoy faster speeds at lower prices. The Japanese, for example, pay about half the price for an Internet connection that's 20 times faster than what's commonly available to people in the United States.

The lack of broadband access has severe economic consequences. A 2007 study by the Brookings Institution and MIT estimated that a one-digit increase in U.S. per-capita broadband penetration – the number of people who have high-speed Internet – equates to an additional 300,000 jobs. If our broadband penetration were as high as a country like Denmark's, we could expect approximately 3.7 million additional U.S. jobs.

The new leadership in Washington has promised to make connecting more Americans to high-speed Internet a priority. President Barack Obama has vowed that he will be “expanding broadband lines across America” to give everyone the chance to get online.

In February, Obama signed into law economic stimulus legislation that includes $7.2 billion for broadband deployment in rural and other underserved areas. While this is a crucial step forward, Obama's advisers acknowledge it is just a "piece of the puzzle" in bringing the benefits of fast, affordable, open Internet to all Americans. As the new administration and Congress develop a national broadband policy, it is crucial that the public -- especially those without broadband access -- have a seat at the table.