Right now, in Washington D.C., the Federal Communications Commission is exploring changes to broadband policy which, if enacted, could stifle broadband investment and deployment in Connecticut and throughout the nation. Not only would this policy change be a dramatic departure from the current environment that has enabled the Internet’s evolution for more than 20 years, it could also exacerbate the digital divide in communities across Connecticut.
According to the FCC, more than 90 percent of Connecticut households have access to broadband. However, while many in our state may have access to broadband, there is still progress to be made to adopt broadband. In fact, a significant digital divide exists, separating those with access and those without.
A report released earlier this year by the FCC, “Broadband Adoption Use in America,” found that 31 percent of all Americans can get broadband but do not have it. The primary reason cited for not having broadband service was cost. Imposing the FCC’s proposed Title II regulation on Internet services could expand this digital divide because the change would increase economic and legal uncertainties and deter private investment in broadband. If there is less incentive for private investment, others will have to bear more of the cost for broadband deployment, which could translate into higher costs for consumers and local communities. Currently, FCC staff has estimated that it would cost $350 billion to deploy broadband nationally.
As the Greater Hartford chapter of the Urban League, we recognize the importance of broadband access to the development of our community members. Many of our services hinge on affordable access to broadband because it allows us to offer educational assistance, employment training and economic enrichment services to members of the Hartford community. Moreover, access to broadband services helps individuals in the community become more self-sufficient because it connects them to the tools and resources that they can use to improve their circumstances and transform their lives.
For example, connecting Greater Hartford youth and adults with online education resources helps individuals acquire their high school diplomas, which prepares them to continue their education or join the workforce. Career training classes in high-demand fields like information technology equips job-seekers with valuable skills sets in their search for employment. Programs and services like these demonstrate broadband’s tangible value to the community.
Unfortunately, the Urban League of Greater Hartford fears that if the FCC’s proposed Title II broadband regulations are adopted, it will deter the spread of broadband to the most needy members of our community and undermine our missions to empower the residents of Hartford. This is why we have called upon President Obama and members of Congress to recognize the potential damage of these burdensome regulations. We hope that Congress will step in to clarify the FCC’s authority over broadband and maintain a focus on universal broadband.
We hope that others in the Greater Hartford community will follow our lead and urge policymakers to act before the FCC implements new broadband regulations. Any policies that have the potential to increase the digital divide and suppress further broadband deployment are counterproductive to the development of our communities and undermine the broadband future for the state of Connecticut.
Richard Brown is interim president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Hartford, one of the largest direct social service agencies in New England.
