Why Broadband Matters
October 6th, 2008 by mtadyMy dad called me recently from his home in Oklahoma City, aghast. I’d been telling him about the problem of the “digital divide,” but it’s hard for him to understand when he can jump online in a matter of seconds.
But something he heard on local radio stunned him. A woman called in and told the host she didn’t have Internet access where she lived outside the city. She was hoping to get more information about Republican presidential candidate John McCain. According to my dad, she said, “Now I hear John McCain was in a war. Does that mean he’s going to be a war president?”
Sure, you don’t need the Internet to learn the basics of McCain’s biography. But tens of millions of Americans do not have the equal ability to educate themselves about this crucial election. Half of the population can easily watch a video of a political candidate’s gaffe, read a blog’s investigation into the merits of a candidate’s stump speech, or do their own investigation into campaign contributions. The other half must rely on what the mainstream media decide to offer viewers and readers for political coverage.
The digital divide isn’t just about relegating people to slow e-mail – it’s about thwarting people’s civic engagement, pre-empting their cultural participation, and ultimately stifling democratic action.
It’s not just in the rural outskirts that people can’t get connected – it’s in our nation’s biggest cities, our suburbs and our small towns. For some, phone and cable companies haven’t built broadband services to reach their communities. For others, broadband remains out of reach because it’s simply unaffordable.
In June, the Pew Internet and American Life Project issued a report that shows a record number of Americans use the Internet to get election campaign coverage.
According to the report, 46 percent of Americans have used the Internet, e-mail or cell phone text messaging to obtain news about the 2008 presidential campaigns, share their views and organize.
Online political videos have become particularly popular, with 35 percent of Americans reporting that they tune in to watch them. Another 10 percent have used social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, to plug in and mobilize around campaigns. And finally, 6 percent of Americans — compared with 2 percent in 2004 — have made online political contributions.
On Tuesday presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain will meet in Nashville for their second debate. Viewers with broadband won’t just have to rely on the moderators, but can use their connection to follow the debates with their own online sleuthing. Do the candidates’ stances during the debate match up to what they were stumping last month? Do the attacks they make of each other hold water? Through simple online searches and by viewing past speeches, Americans can instantly fact check the debate to help them assess who to vote for in November.
And instead of simply relying on post-game TV punditry, Americans can also use the Internet to turn to other media outlets, including blogs, to find serious political reporting and competing viewpoints. But once again, the other half of the population will be hamstrung, only able to get the news that they are given.
Despite widespread evidence of a digital divide and why broadband access is essential, our lawmakers in Washington are still asking, “Why does broadband matter?” Our lawmakers need to recognize that a new age of civic participation and information sharing is upon us.
The next president must adopt policy that rolls out open, affordable, high-speed Internet to all Americans. It is essential that every American has equal and open access to the Internet in order to fully participate in the upcoming election, and in our democracy.
From learning about candidates’ stances on issues to watching political parody videos on YouTube, it’s about time that everyone can log on and play a digital role in this presidential election. Here’s a first step: Perhaps one of the debate moderators could ask the next president, “How will you bring universal, affordable broadband to all Americans?”
