The affordability gap is the biggest part of the digital divide in the USA, EducationSuperHighway report

EducationSuperHighway released a report on how to bridge the affordability gap in the USA. The report found that 28.2 million US households lack broadband connectivity whereas 64% (18.1M) of households with available broadband infrastructure are not connected due to the lack of financial resources. This is equivalent to 46.9M population with available broadband infrastructure that cannot afford to connect. ‘Affordability has now emerged as the number one barrier to closing the digital divide. We have a historic opportunity to close two-thirds of the digital divide by connecting 18 million households that have access to the Internet but can’t afford to connect,’ said EducationSuperHighway Founder and CEO Evan Marwell. According to the report, there are key barriers to broadband adoption:

  • Awareness: most unconnected households are unaware of the Emergency Broadband Benefit and how it can help them get connected. A recent national survey of low- and lower-middle income households found that only 25% had heard of the program.
  • Trust: many unconnected households are concerned about sharing personal information as part of the sign-up process and are skeptical the Emergency Broadband Benefit will actually cover the cost of their home broadband connection.
  • Enrollment challenges: signing up for the Emergency Broadband Benefit and internet service provider (ISP) low-cost broadband programs can be confusing, requiring households to provide documentation of their income status that many cannot easily access.

To address these barriers, the report pinpoints key strategies and blueprints for success:

  • Leverage data to identify unconnected households: collect broadband adoption data at the address level to target outreach and adoption efforts and track progress.
  • Launch broadband adoption programs: help ISPs sign up eligible households for federal broadband programs and home broadband service.
  • Deploy free Wi-Fi to low-income apartment buildings: eliminate the need for households to sign-up for broadband service altogether.