The Presumption of the Connected

To ensure social distance, we have been asked to recreate work and school in our homes. Distancing ourselves is necessary to “flatten the curve.” But while we try not to overload hospitals, the success of home schooling and work from home rests on a misguided presumption of universal internet connectivity. This is not the reality for millions of Americans. The digital divide is acutely felt in rural and tribal communities, by minorities, low-income Americans, and newcomers to the country. Going online to get out of the COVID-19 line of fire will increase the chasm between the connected and the un- and under-connected.This is particularly true for students in both K-12 and postsecondary schools. Upwards of 70% of homework was assigned online before the move to online-only instruction, but 15% of all school-age children and 18% of school-age children in rural communities do not have a home internet connection. For those who are connected, there are concerns about the capabilities of their networks. Some of my students at the University of Virginia, for instance, expressed concerns that their home broadband networks cannot fulfill the expectations of live video classes. Three distinct misconceptions about the state of broadband in the US are being exposed again during this crisis: 1) broadband networks reach everyone, 2) all broadband technologies are equal, and 3) mobile can pick up the slack.

[Christopher Ali is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia and Faculty Fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. He is the author of the forthcoming book: Farm Fresh Spectrum: Rural Broadband Policy and the Future of Connectivity (MIT Press).]