Internet Access

To improve high speed internet availability overall, the infrastructure must come first. Efforts at long-term solutions, and remaining questions, are at the forefront of the discussion.

• The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $47.5 billion for states to build broadband infrastructure aimed at improving digital equity, with the majority of the funds going to unserved or underserved rural and tribal areas.
• However, an additional challenge for rural areas is related to a low return-on-investment for new installations, which may prevent many larger providers from deploying the necessary infrastructure.
• Even with the influx of federal funds and emerging technology like Low Earth satellite networks, this calls into question how motivated providers will be to branch out to providing service to more challenging rural locations.

For now, finding places to access the internet in rural areas provides a temporary bridge across the digital divide.

• Libraries provide a public location to access digital resources and often hold digital literacy and skills building classes for community members. The American Library Association offers a host of trainings and resources through their Libraries Transforming Communities initiative, including grants specifically for small and rural libraries, online learning, and making libraries accessible.
• With online learning taking center stage in recent years, schools are also a strong advocate for closing the digital divide to help students learn virtually. The United Way has a partnership with Extreme Networks to connect schools, community organizations, and local governments with digital resources.
• Start by looking within your community to see what resources already exist and what opportunities there are for public-private partnerships.

Costs for equipment and internet subscriptions is where policy, business, and the public’s interest converge.

• The Infrastructure Investment Act includes $14.2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to help low-income families afford digital access, providing monthly benefits of $30-75 for internet service.
• However, solutions for reducing the rural digital divide require a concerted effort on multiple fronts, relying on a combination of public and private funds for infrastructure and private businesses for access, and trying to strike the balance between affordability for consumers and return on investment for businesses.

In the meantime, there should be an incentive for rural communities to respond locally to solve this issue.

• Since digitally-connected small businesses are three times more likely to create jobs, there may be motivation for local businesses to campaign for broadband improvements to expand their companies and simultaneously improve the connectivity of their rural communities, create job opportunities, and improve telehealth services.

Once access is established and subscriptions are in place, rural residents may need help in improving their digital literacy and understanding of how to effectively use the internet. Policy-level efforts include efforts to encourage digital literacy.

• The Act includes $2.8 billion for Digital Equity grants to build literacy and address barriers through outreach and education campaigns.

For more immediate action, there are likely local initiatives already in progress.

• In addition to local libraries and schools, Centers for Independent Living often have digital literacy classes and offer coaching to help people with disabilities connect with appropriate resources and learn online skills for employment, education, and socialization.

Finally, there is the question of web accessibility.

• Accessibility presents an additional barrier for people with disabilities, as a study by WebAIM of the top 1 million webpages found that 96.8% of homepages did not meet WCAG2 accessibility standards.

Policy-level decision may not be the appropriate avenue for accessibility solutions.

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have been in place and evolving since 1999 and apply to nearly all websites, but as noted above, compliance is lacking.
• While this would indicate that people with disabilities are not generally part of the design of technology, the online disability community has created alternatives to exclusionary areas and built their own to address their concerns and support each other.
• From virtual communities like Second Life to posting reviews on www.jjslist.com, people with disabilities have the opportunities and talents to use the internet for what they need and desire while advocating for better access.
• By amplifying the message of universal accessibility and showing the way, people with disabilities can encourage businesses and policymakers to recognize that it is in their best interests to remove barriers and improve the digital experience for all users.

The rural question is whether the proposed one-size-fits-all policy solutions will deliver the same level of service as in urban areas or align with local values.

• In order to have a significant positive impact, rural policies to close the digital divide would be better served with place- and community-specific policies to meet their needs by focusing on both connectivity and inclusion of all people.
• Until policy solutions catch up with the on-the-ground needs of rural people with disabilities, local and online resources can supply the necessary partnerships, resources, and guidance to help keep the digital divide from spreading further.