The Economic Impact of The Digital Divide By conservative estimates, approximately 42 million households do not have internet connections at minimum broadband speeds.33 When millions of Americans cannot reliably access digital opportunities, it has a far-reaching impact. As a foundational issue, struggles with high-speed connectivity impose barriers to information and curb the ability to communicate in public squares, many of which have exclusively transitioned online. Evidenced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, disparities in access to information can have a devastating impact on households that struggle with reliable internet access while facing other socioeconomic disadvantages. Figure 2 details the demographic makeup of the ten richest and poorest states and territories. Figure 3 documents which residents face digital inequities, not having a broadband subscription and/or computing device at home. Data shows that the populations who consistently lack access or the tools required to adopt are concentrated in the American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic/Latino columns.
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John Busby, Julia Tanberk, and Tyler Cooper, “BroadbandNow Estimates Availability for All 50 States; Confirms That More than 42 Million Americans Do Not Have Access to Broadband” (BroadbandNow, May 5, 2021), https:// broadbandnow.com/research/fcc-broadband-overreporting-by-state.
The Economic Consequences and Generational Impact of the Digital Divide
