Problem

As the world increasingly goes online, connectivity is required to keep up with the advancements of society. Lack of access hinders opportunities in education, employment, engagement, and more. The digital divide persists today; roughly one in three U.S. Blacks and Hispanics don’t have access to a computer in their homes, and “35 percent of Black households and 29 percent of Hispanic households do not have broadband.” The digital divide leads to a “homework gap” that disproportionately affects lower-income students; in 2015, only about 35% of lower-income households with school-age children had broadband internet at home.

This lack of connectivity has been exacerbated by COVID. It has been found that investments in technology can improve the academic performance of minority students who are disadvantaged and at risk of dropping out of school. These structural disparities in connectivity are exacerbated by lower digital skills and technological literacy among minority communities.

Key Terms

Broadband: Transmission of wide bandwidth data over a high speed internet connection.
Fiber-optic infrastructure: A fiber optic (glass or polymer) network enables users to overcome the limitations of traditional copper cable communications networks.
[Tech literacy:](https://www.estrellamountain.edu/employees/committees/saac/technological-literacy#:~:text=Technology Literacy is the ability,%2C integrate%2C and evaluate information%3B&text=use technology to meet personal needs%2C interests%2C and learning styles.) Ability to safely, responsibly, creatively, and effectively use appropriate technology to communicate; access, collect, manage, integrate, and evaluate information; endeavor to predict future needs, solve problems and create solutions; build and share knowledge; among others.

Solutions

1. Expanding Basic IT Infrastructure

Increasing the capacity for connectivity everywhere is the first step to bringing people online. Improving telecommunications, hardware, and networks from urban to rural areas is key to democratizing connection -- starting from big overarching infrastructure to the last-mile solutions.

Existing Solutions

Astranis is actively working to fix the fact that 39% of Alaskans don’t have reliable internet access -- the highest rate of any U.S. state. They are building the next generation of powerful low-cost telecommunications satellites that circumvent the hurdles of legacy and costs when it comes to deployment. They can build and launch 5x faster than competitors, and at a fraction of the price.
UTVATE plans to deploy affordable antennas on the ground.
Ukama empowers enterprises, ISP, community networks, and individuals to set up, deploy, and operate LTE-based cellular networks with ease. They provide modern stack (hardware and software) with managed services and will work to target schools and allow students access to online learning materials away from campus.
Sail democratizes high-speed internet through sourcing fiber-optic infrastructure directly to underserved individuals and communities.

What needs to be done?

<aside> 💲 Affordability: While broadband is nearly ubiquitous in urban and suburban neighborhoods, many residents cannot afford monthly fees that can range from $50 to over $100. Expanding infrastructure can only truly democratize access if it is affordable for all communities -- discounting and cost reduction are the next big levers.

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2. Digital Literacy Initiatives

“Some 46% of Blacks and 48% of Hispanics in the U.S. say training to help them be more confident in using computers, smartphones, and the internet would help “a lot” in terms of making important decisions, compared with 20% of whites.” Hardware solutions to connectivity must be paired with technical training that improves digital skills through complementary software platforms.