To connect everyone to broadband, Dallas must focus on cost and adaptation | Opinion
Dallas ISD PC Technician Tom Grau hands Marta Campos and her son Pedro Sanchez, 10, a fifth grader, a backpack containing a Chromebook and its assorted accessories at Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, Monday, August 17, 2020. Dallas ISD is distributing backpacks of supplies to families over the course of this month before school starts. Backpacks include either a Chromebook or iPad, charger, earbuds, and upon request, a hotspot.
The portion of Americans who aren’t online because they lack the digital skills or means to connect is three times higher than those who aren’t online because they lack access. In Dallas, 99.9% of the city can choose service from three or more providers, and 100% is covered by high-speed internet.who lack a broadband subscription because of affordability or adoption is a formidable task, but achievable given the will and the resources currently available.
Second, thanks to the bipartisan federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, significant funding has been allocated to address the affordability and adoption gap. This includes $14.2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program, a groundbreaking program offering up to a $30 monthly benefit for low-income families. Dallas should continue to build upon ACP by amplifying the program to over 620,000 residents presumed eligible.
Capitalizing on these federally funded programs will effectively close the digital divide, but residents should be concerned over plans under consideration that would do very little to address the issue. Some local municipalities are exploring proposals to build taxpayer-funded broadband networks operated by the government. These proposals represent duplicated digital network infrastructure but do nothing to address Dallas’ digital divide.
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