Technology is becoming part of the economy
Broadband less likely to be available in lower income and rural areas
Digital Equity
The digital divide refers to the difference in information technology access and use based on ethnicity and socioeconomic status. A report from the U.S. Department of Commerce finds that African American and Latino households trail White households in broadband subscriptions (Prieger 2003). Also, poorer households are behind affluent households in broadband subscriptions. Broadband is less likely to be available in lower income and rural communities, according to a report from the Federal Communications Commission (Prieger 2003). The digital divide is discussed because it is important to understand the context of the problem of communities being poorly served by private telecommunication companies.
Digital divide statistics are mostly applied to computer availability in schools and to homes with computer access to the Internet. Digital equity is a social justice goal of ensuring that all students have access to information technology for learning regardless of any characteristic that has been linked with unequal treatment (Judge, Puckett, Cabuk 2004).
According to a survey by Mossberger, Tolbert, and Stansbury, more than two-thirds of Americans are convinced that a connection exists between computer skills and different types of economic opportunity. According to the authors, “This is particularly true among disadvantaged groups such as African Americans, the unemployed, and women, as well as the young” (2009, pp. 79-80). A poor neighborhood is one where residents cannot meet their basic needs. Also, a poor neighborhood typically has few organizations geared toward the poor (Murphy and Wallace 2010). Bringing high speed Internet service to poorly served neighborhoods will give these citizens the service in their homes which will give them the opportunity to apply for more jobs, take online courses, file taxes, and communicate with personal and professional contacts through email. Home Internet access also allows students to complete work at home.
