Digital divide thrives on cultural stereotypes

The free market has too often failed to bring truly high-speed Internet to the people with the fewest choices - those in low-income urban neighborhoods. While government universal service money goes to one sector in need - rural communities - there are few government initiatives to stimulate network upgrades in low-income urban centers.

Support for bringing high-speed Internet to low-income neighborhoods often meets with criticism - the worst being, "it's unprofitable," or "low-income people don't see the value of the Internet." But industry analyst Craig Settles finds that such criticism is based on stereotypes, wrong and costly to the nation.

As Settles points out, survey after survey show that almost all Americans - and certainly all young ones - are aware of the value of the Internet. He quotes from a 2010 report, "Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities," which concludes that "No one needed to be convinced of the importance of Internet use or of the value of broadband adoption in the home."

But, as Settles says:

"Internet service may be advertised as available citywide in large metro areas. However, there's no financial incentive to build infrastructure where ROI prospects are poor.  Furthermore, when infrastructure there deteriorates or becomes obsolete, potential ROI is too low to justify upgrading."

This is exactly what has happened in communities like Buffalo, Baltimore and even Boston, where Verizon has built out its high-speed fiber optic lines, FiOS, in the more prosperous suburban parts of the metropolis, but has neglected the urban core, including many minority neighborhoods. In response, CWA has joined community-wide campaigns to force Verizon to live up to its commitments. (add link to Don't Bypass Buffalo - should be in prior SM post) But now, as a result of its recent joint marketing deal with cable, it appears that it has made the decision not to expand. Outcome: digital divide.

But Craig Settles makes clear that this kind of conduct is based on stereotyping and nothing else. He describes several excellent urban community projects that teach low-income kids a huge variety of computer skills. But too many of them cannot get companies to bring high-speed lines to their section of town. And, he points out the nationwide value of public libraries, but finds that "Urban city libraries need the same direct link to fiber that rural libraries are receiving via broadband stimulus funds."

Gigabit Nation, Broadband Talk Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gigabitnation

Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities (The Social Science Research Council, Mar. 2010)

We need better infrastructure to bridge urban digital divide (gigaom.com, Jan. 10, 2012)
http://gigaom.com/broadband/we-need-better-infrastructure-to-bridge-urban-digital-divide/