On Monday, President Biden unveiled plans for allocating nearly $42.5 billion to build out high-speed internet networks — pledging that every household in America will have access to high-speed internet by 2030.
Digital divide
Access to fast and stable internet is increasingly seen as a utility — like water and gas — something necessary in order to function in the modern world. Yet, as you read this newsletter and browse the web effortlessly, it's easy to forget that there are still millions of households without access to high-speed internet.
Data from Pew Research Center found that only 77% of US adults reported having a broadband connection at home — with just 64% of the older (65+) generation reporting access, leaving more than one third without home broadband. Interestingly, the next age group least likely to have broadband at home are 18-29 year olds — that age group was found to be reliant on their smartphones, substituting fixed access for their phones.
Access to high-speed internet at home is one thing, but perhaps most shocking of all is that 7% of American adults report no usage of the internet at all (as of 2021).
