Title page

Contents

Introduction 9

Intricacies Of The Digital Divide 12

The Digital Divide Is As Old As The Internet's Public Debut 14

Examining The Roots of Digital Inequities 17

The Economic Impact of The Digital Divide 21

Digital Inclusion Is a Prerequisite for Economic Inclusion 23

Broadband is Critical for Economic Mobility 27

Ripple Effect in Communities 28

Trends in the Ten Richest and Ten Poorest States 29

Lost Productivity and Wealth Nationwide 33

Recommendations and Potential Solutions 35

1. Broadband policies must be laser-focused on enabling all U.S. residents to benefit from high-speed technologies 37

2. A binary measurement of who does and does not have broadband access will never be able to capture the contours of the digital divide 39

3. Income inequality is made worse by continual gaps in broadband access and adoption 40

4. Longitudinal studies on the cost of digital inequities would not only help to improve public policy solutions but would also provide essential documentation of... 41

5. The societal benefits of digital equity investments include those that can be quantified on a balance sheet and many that cannot 42

6. The U.S. has a long history of investing in technology to boost economic growth and mitigate harm 43

Conclusion 45

Appendix 47

Figure 1. Historical Notes on Telephone and Broadband Regulation 18

Figure 2. Percentage of Households by Race/Ethnicity 21

Figure 3. Percentage of Households that Do Not Adopt Broadband at Home (Lack a Broadband Subscription and/or Device) 22

Figure 4. Broadband Access vs. Adoption in 10 Highest- and Lowest-Income States/Territories 23

Figure 5. Broadband Access vs. Device Ownership in 10 Highest- and Lowest-Income States/Territories 24

Figure 6. Low, Middle, and High-Income Workers Have Vastly Different Outcomes Over 40 years in the Workforce 25

Figure 7. Median Household Income vs. Home Internet Adoption in 10 Highest- and Lowest-Income States 30

Figure 8. (Omit) 34

Figure 9. Digitally Equitable Ecosystem 36

Figure 10. Digital Citizenship Enables Consumers to Capitalize on Opportunities and Wealth in a Digital Economy 40