Digital Divide

The Digital Divide related to Internet access in homes has long been discussed, but until recently there has been no hard evidence of the divide. A Federal study by the Department of Commerce and reports in the Washington Post found that “5 to 10 percent of the nation does not have access to connections that are fast enough to download Web pages, photos and videos.” Students whose families live in rural areas or areas of lower-incomes, have less access and/or slower access to the Internet. The study found that “32 percent of U.S. households don’t use the Internet at home” and that 40% of rural homes aren’t connected to the Internet. Some have said that the study should have contained information about pricing and real speed, for pricing would be a factor in access for low-income families. If the data had contained real speed information, it would also show “whether companies are really giving people what they are paying for.”