Judy: The so-called digital
divide remains a major issue in
America when it comes to
providing high-speed internet,
particularly in rural areas and
low-income communities.
Today, the Biden administration
announced new commitments from
20 commercial internet providers
to help close that gap by
lowering the cost of high-speed
internet for millions of
Americans.
Stephanie sy gets an assessment
of these latest efforts.
Stephanie: Judy, white house
officials say nearly 40% of U.S.
Households qualify for what's
called the affordability
connectivity program.
The agreement with providers,
such as Comcast, AT&T, Verizon,
and others, offers eligible
families high-speed internet at
a cost of no more than $30 a
month.
Eligible families will get
subsidies to essentially
eliminate those costs.
The money is part of the
infrastructure law.
President Biden spoke today
about why better service is
essential.
>> High speed internet is not a
luxury any longer.
It's a necessity. And that's why
the bi-partisan infrastructure
law included $65 billion to make
sure we expand access to
broadband internet in every
region of the country, urban,
suburban, and rural.
If you qualify, you're gonna get
a $30 credit per month towards
your internet bill.
Which means, which most folks,
will mean they get on for
nothing. Look, zero.
Stephanie: Joining me now is
Nicol turner Lee. She's the
director of the center for
technology innovation at the
Brookings institution.
Thank you so much for your time.
Previous administrations have
tried to deal with the issue of
affordability.
$60-$70 per month is a burden
for many households to get
high-speed internet.
How big of a deal is it that the
Biden administrations has gotten
these subsidies done? How big of
a shift is it from previous
policy?
>> This is a big deal.
I will tell you why.
Several reasons.
It is a public-private sector
partnership and one we haven't
seen in a while when it comes to
providing internet to vulnerable
populations, including those on
tribal land.
It is a big deal because we have
found during the pandemic,
families struggle.
When you think about 34% of
low-income adults struggle to
keep their internet on at a time
when they were working and
learning, we needed something
like this.
I think this is a great way to
people -- bring people into the
economy.
Stephanie: 11.5 million
households have already signed
up for this subsidy.
What are the barriers to getting
more people signed up and does
the administration have a plan
for getting the word out that
you think will work?
>> The administration has
thought hard about this, along
with the companies, major
companies, Comcast, spectrum and
a host of others.
It is about how to raise
awareness.
How do you get people to really
come to either the store of
these companies, or the
administration put together a
website.
Get internet.gov, for people to
get access.
In certain states and cities
they will check -- test message
campaigns.
If you are receiving government
assistance, you can actually get
access to this program.
We will need all hands on deck
strategy to get more people with
awareness that they can actually
receive $30 subsidies.
Stephanie: This was a
private-public partnership, the
nation's biggest service
partners are agreeing to offer
lower costs and supposedly high
quality internet plans.
That is 100 megabits per second.
Underserved areas still lack
access to broadband
infrastructure.
Those companies have been
accused by some activists of
furthering that digital divide
by not providing adequate
internet to poor neighborhoods.
Is that true?
Or is this a government policy
program -- problem?
>> I like how you bring this up.
In the excitement we have to
keep questioning what challenges
we have.
We know we don't have universal
broadband so there will be a
portion of people who won't get
access simply because there are
no facilities, or they don't
have a choice of providers
participating in the program.
We have to keep remembering in
tandem with this is the
bipartisan infrastructure bill.
In tandem with that is the fact
that we will deploy more
broadband access across the U.S.
And we will find ways to do
digital literacy training.
When we look at this, it is a
huge accomplishment.
I have been doing this for a
long time so thanks president
Biden and vice president Harris.
We have to have these programs
if it will be fully effective.
Stephanie: As you mentioned, the
pandemic highlighted some of the
social inequities.
Brought up by broadband access.
Nearly half of Americans who
don't have at-home internet are
in black and hispanic
households.
I wonder if you could talk about
that.
What do we know about how
economic, educational, and
health outcomes are impacted by
the lack of high speed internet
in those households?
>> I love that you asked that
because we have to think of it
also, when we are talking about
closing the digital divide we
aren't just talking about bits
and bytes, tablets or laptops
and service.
We are talking changing the
trajectory of any quality.
We have to understand the
digital divide is more than
technology.
It is about a pathway to the
economic opportunities that are
available.
With 50 million school-age kids
sent home and 15 million didn't
have broadband access, that is a
problem.
It did disproportionately affect
black and brown and native
students who needed access.
I'm not just talking k-12, I'm
talking college students who
went home and there were
internet deserts.
To your point, as we look at
this entire trajectory, we have
to remind ourselves that this is
about closing the inequality
gap.
When we close that gap we will
be better off in the long run.
Stephanie: Nicol turner Lee with
the Brookings institute, thank
you for joining us.
Appreciate you.