Broadband: The Digital Divide?

The Austin American-Statesman had an article about the Pew Internet & American Life Project on broadband use in the United States. The research concluded that broadband internet use is increasing throughout the United States but hinted at a disparity that may be intresting.

In the war of the Haves & Have Not's, it seems that fast internet access may be a point of contention. Americans with broadband internet now make up 55% as opposed to 47% reported as of last year. African-American households with broadband stood at 43%, compared to those of Whites and Hispanic English Speaking households at 57%.

Does lack of access to fast internet really mean anything though? According to John Horrigan, associate director of research at the nonprofit Pew project,"Internet users who don't have high-speed Internet access could miss out on video-based learning programs, access to government documents or other necessities electronically, or online entertainment."

I beg to differ. As a cynic, I will claim that fast internet does not mean that individuals will be losing out. It may just mean faster means to accessing MySpace or YouTube but this is not detrimental to those individuals life or property. Faster access to information is not the same as NO access to information. I am more inclined to describe a digital divide between individuals that have access to computers with internet versus those that do not. Faster access to information on the internet does not equate to better in my opinion.

How fast is fast?I can still recall the day of dial up internet. Even though the world is a wonderful place with DSL and Cable internet, it is just a convenience more than anything. I now have faster access to data that I was not otherwise with dial up. People functioned with 56k just okay 10 years ago.I am not concerned with the speed that people access information as I am with the ability to even access that information. As technology improves and certain features become obsolete, folks will be able to enjoy the faster speeds. 56k is slowly being phased out for more practical and cost effective services such as broadband. Internet Service Providers understand that it will be more costly to maintain phone lines and subscribers that rely on those services. They will end up providing cheaper alternatives to broadband that will serve as gateway for those individuals. AT&T has taken a similar approach offering Internet plans as low as $14.99 and $19.99. The digital divide is not in the speed of information but if individuals even have access to that information . . . and that is a more important topic to entertain.