As the pandemic recedes, we’ve learned that universal access to the online world through broadband service is essential for participation in modern American life. The urgency to create full broadband coverage echoes past programs to develop nationwide networks for electricity, telephone, and interstate highways. Each of those ushered in major changes and improvements in communities across the country.
Broadband is often portrayed as a monochrome issue: People either have access to it or they do not. In reality, broadband is multidimensional or multicolored. Its benefits depend on factors, such as availability, speed, affordability, education, and adoption. For the nation to achieve a complete, equitable, and beneficial distribution of broadband services, we need a full-color approach.