For as long as the internet has existed, there has been a divide between those who have it and those who do not, with increasingly high stakes for people stuck on the wrong side of America’s “persistent digital divide.” That’s one reason why, from the earliest days of his presidential campaign, Joe Biden promised to make universal broadband a priority. But Biden’s promise has taken on extra urgency as a result of the pandemic. Covid-19 has widened many inequities, including the “homework gap” that threatened to leave lower-income students behind as schools moved online, as well as access to health care, unemployment benefits, court appearances, and—increasingly— the covid-19 vaccine, all of which require (or are facilitated by) internet connections. Whether Biden can succeed in bridging the gap, however, depends on how he defines the problem. Is it one that can be fixed with more infrastructure, or one that requires social programs to address affordability and adoption gaps?

In order to achieve the goal of universal broadband for everyone in Illinois, broadband must be available and affordable. However, home broadband service is out of reach for many low-income households in Illinois that are unable to afford subscriptions. Therefore, efforts to promote universal broadband should include programs that offer access to affordable broadband service, as well as access to low-cost digital devices and digital literacy training, which have been highlighted as necessary to promote digital inclusion and meaningful broadband adoption. In June 2020, the Illinois General Assembly directed the Illinois Broadband Advisory Council to study various questions related to broadband access and affordability, including cost estimates for:

• Universal broadband access where existing broadband infrastructure is insufficient,
• Universal free or affordable broadband access for all residents, and
• Free or affordable broadband access for those in poverty.

In Universal Broadband in Illinois: Studying the Costs of Providing Free and Affordable Service for All Residents, we present findings from our study on behalf of the Illinois Broadband Advisory Council of technology and internet adoption in Illinois and includes cost estimates for providing free broadband access as well as the alternative goal of providing affordable broadband access to all residents in the State, including in areas with high poverty levels. 

[John B. Horrigan is a Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute and a consultant to the Urban Libraries Council. Brian Whitacre is a Professor and Jean & Patsy Neustadt Chair in the department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University. Colin Rhinesmith is an Associate Professor and Director of the Community Informatics Lab in the Simmons University School of Library and Information Science. He is also the Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Community Informatics.]

Comcast will suspend its new fees on heavy home Internet users in more than a dozen Northeastern states, reversing course on a policy that threatened higher bills for some families amid the coronavirus pandemic. Comcast will postpone the new charges after Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D-PA) raised concerns that Comcast’s policy threatened to disproportionately harm cash-strapped Americans who are learning, working, and communicating primarily online. Comcast pledged to be more transparent about its pricing and take additional steps that include waiving some fees for customers who cancel their cable and Internet contracts early. Comcast suspended its new data charges until July, so consumers will not see any fees until their August bills, according to the attorney general’s office. The changes do not effect Comcast customers in other regions. The company previously announced a suspension in Massachusetts after state lawmakers introduced legislation that sought to take aim at the new fees.

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission received a letter from members of Congress urging it to use the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund long-form application process to ensure that winning bidders are capable of meeting their obligations. To honor Congressional intent, safeguard the public’s money and deliver necessary services to rural America, I suggest the FCC should:

1. Require financial projections that include the number of fiber miles to be constructed each year.
2. Require documentary evidence that backs up the projections of construction costs.
3. Require that the applicant has designed, built and/or managed fiber construction in the past year or two years that is within 50% of the pace of construction for the projected first three years. The pace of the first three years' construction must meet the RDOF 40% service milestone.
4. As an alternative to number 3, the applicant could provide a complete network design for the first three years' construction, by which the Commission would be able to measure future construction progress.
5. Require a commitment from fiber manufacturers and construction firms for the first year of construction with documentary evidence that the material costs and unit labor costs are consistent with the financial protections.
6. At the end of the first year after receiving funds, and the second year after receiving funds, require that the actual construction is consistent with the pace of the financial projections.