Broadband access inequality and America's digital divide competitiveness

Technology and Society

Implications of High Speed broadband Access for all Americans

lags lesser-developed and less financially prosperous nations in several areas of broadband access, ranging from access availability to network performance. The economics of broadband access in the U.S. also are forcing smaller, regional providers out of the market as the costs of network infrastructure continue to escalate (Crossman, Wagle, Wilkins, 59). Economically there is no incentive for broadband companies in the U.S. To provide broadband access to the most impoverished areas that form the nations' Digital Divide (Crossman, Wagle, Wilkins, 59). Even with the proposed National Broadband Plan, the smaller providers will still struggle financially to survive, even with government subsidiaries and the pricing strategies the Federal Communication Commission has proposed (Ford, Spiwak, Stern, 14). If the U.S. Government lets this languish and does not get the Plan accomplished, it risks affecting its ability to complete economically in the 21st century.

Assessing the Benefits of National Broadband Availability

The many benefits of enabling national broadband coverage for the U.S. are explained and analyzed in this section. First and most importantly, are the educational benefits for the nation's children who in many poverty-level counties are being denied the opportunity to further their education (Ford, Spiwak, Stern, et.al.). The greatest benefit of implementing a national broadband plan is that it will significantly raise the educational levels of students, as they will have e-learning and online teaching materials available to them. Their teachers and schools will have an enriched learning experience that will allow for individualized instruction that will also lead to many of these students graduating from high school. It has been shown throughout U.S. Census data that dropout rates correlate to per capita income levels of specific regions, with lower-income areas generating the highest rates of high school dropout percentages (Heckman, LaFontaine, 244). Having broadband accessible to these students will give them the chance to break the cycle of poverty that keeps high dropout rates in place. Using broadband for teaching trades in high school for example will give these students and their families a chance to rise out of poverty.

Second, the implementation of a countrywide broadband plan will also provide a strong foundation for economic growth. From the jobs advertised online only through monster.com and individual job company sites to the state- and federally-funded job banks that are only available online, broadband access will be a catalyst of those in poorer areas who do not have service today a chance to find jobs. In addition to making job hunting and finding employment easier, the build-out of a national broadband infrastructure will also make entirely new business models possible. Add in the capability to enable widespread mobile e-commerce (m-commerce) and the competitiveness of American businesses will increase.

Third, a national broadband plan will make it easier for small businesses to have a more competitive position in not just local but also global markets. A national broadband infrastructure would enable larger companies to completely redefine the more costly processes and systems that drain them of profits today, with the need for huge office buildings being a major one. Instead of spending tens of millions of dollars a year on a building, investing that in R&D and having a virtual workforce could quickly lead to profitability gains.

Fourth, it would also significantly cut back on the carbon emissions and dependence on oil this nation has. Telecommuting's many benefits are seen in not just the sustainability and reduction in carbon emissions and pollution, but drastically cutting our dependence on foreign oil. Strategically this is critical for the country right now as offshore drilling is likely to be completely halted after BPs' glacially slow response to the recent oil spill. If the current events are put into context of how to avert their hidden costs for the long-term, a national broadband plan seems overdue.