Bad News and Good News

The digital divide is never quiet. Broadband policy has been a topic of frequent discussion since the Obama administration made it a high priority. The stimulus package earlier this year included substantial funding for building out the broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. However, little if any of that money has been distributed, and a new report argues that the stimulus funds will do little to benefit those who live on the wrong side of the digital divide.

I'm guessing that a lot of nonprofits look forward to the day that progress renders them obsolete. However, for better or worse, they will need the services of CTN Bay Area, community technology centers, and other divide fighters for at least a few more years.

In a more promising and inspiring story, the Finnish government has set a precedent for others to follow by declaring a high-speed broadband connection to be a legal right for all its citizens. As Business Week put it in reporting this story:

Most of us can no longer perform our work duties, do homework or communicate with friends without having access to the Internet. Many Web-based communications and video services, such as Skype, require a broadband connection to work. People need broadband connections to live normal lives, as Finland is the first nation to acknowledge.

In other words, the day is fast approaching when broadband access will be necessary for the full exercise of other more fundamental rights and liberties. How will we implement e-voting, online medical records, and the like when so many Americans lack the broadband speeds necessary to participate in these initiatives?