The Faces of the Digital Divide

The “digital divide” sounds so faceless, so placeless. Who are these supposed people without an Internet connection in today’s day-and-age? Where are these places that have been left behind? And is it really that big of a deal?

Rhonda Locklear is one of those faces, who lives in one of those places, and she wants to tell you that not having Internet access is a really big deal – in her community, and communities across the country, it’s becoming a matter of survival.

Rhonda, who is a member of the Lumbee Tribe in Pembroke, North Carolina, spoke about her community’s struggles at the FCC’s “Digital Inclusion Summit” today. (The summit was co-hosted by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.)

In just seven days, the FCC will release its national broadband plan – a roadmap for how to bring broadband to more homes across the country. It’s encouraging that President Obama and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski have acknowledged that connecting more Americans to an open, fast Internet is central to our economic recovery, to civic participation, and to the health and vibrancy of our democracy, though we don’t have details on the plan yet.

Watch Rhonda’s speech:

Up until two months ago, Rhonda and her family didn’t have high-speed Internet. She watched her sons struggle with their homework, and she continues to watch her community slip away in today’s digital age, since many people in depressed Robeson County are unable to afford broadband.

Last year, Rhonda first recounted her difficulties in a documentary series that Free Press produced called “America Offline.”

Read and watch her story:

The truth is, across the country, millions of other people still can’t afford broadband, or live in areas where there are no high-speed Internet options. Rural communities in particular have been eking along on slow dial-up or unreliable satellite connections, or no Internet at all.

Read and watch the story of the Foushee family trying to run a farm on dial-up in rural North Carolina:

This rural snapshot only shows a part of the picture of the digital divide in America. Even in some of our most tech-savvy wired cities, millions of people – particularly low-income households, immigrant populations and senior citizens – do not have high-speed Internet in their homes or businesses.

Read and watch the story of a young teen and his grandmother trying to navigate his education without high-speed Internet in L.A.:

These stories are a testament to why high-speed Internet is vital for America’s future, and why our leaders in Washington should be approaching broadband expansion with the same urgency and commitment given to past projects like highway expansion, rural electrification and clean drinking water.

In just one week, we’ll see if the FCC has made this sort of commitment. In her speech today, Rhonda said, “It is my hope that the National Broadband plan will alleviate these struggles and give my community – and communities across the country – access to fast, affordable, open Internet. Our future – as a tribe and as a country – depends on it.”

We hope so, too.

To read and watch more profiles from “America Offline,” click here and here.

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.