At a time when virtual work and school are part of everyday life for many Marylanders, internet access is a basic necessity. But roughly 520,000 Maryland households lack high-speed internet at home, according to a new report by the Abell Foundation.
The report, by John B. Horrigan, a senior fellow at the Technology Policy Institute, demonstrates how the pandemic has stretched the gap between Marylanders who have access to the internet and those who do not.
“Digital disconnectedness – particularly during a crisis like a pandemic – amounts to social exclusion. Fixing this problem amounts to promoting digital inclusion, a more expansive notion than the digital divide, which has a focus on whether people have (or do not have) online access,” Horrigan wrote.
The report used statewide data to examine two digital tools that allow Marylanders access to the internet: high-speed internet subscriptions and a working desktop, laptop, or tablet at home. Disparities in the adoption of these tools fall along geographic, racial, and economic lines, the report found.
Horrigan found that a majority of disconnected Maryland residents live in metro counties or Baltimore City. In Baltimore City, 41.3% of households do not subscribe to wireline internet and 31.9% lack a desktop or laptop computer.
In both urban and rural counties, income plays a significant role in gaining access to the internet. More than half (53.2%) of low-income households – those with an annual income below $25,000 – lack high-speed internet, and roughly half (47.9%) do not have a desktop or laptop.
In addition to geography and income, inequalities in access to broadband are also related to race and ethnicity. The Abell report found that 40% of Maryland residents, or 206,000 households, without high-speed internet are African American, with similar figures for computer ownership.
According to a study cited in the Abell report, broadband access at home greatly impacts educational outcomes for middle and high school students. The study, conducted by Michigan State University, examined predominantly rural Michigan school districts and found that rural and low-income students are less likely to have high-speed internet access. The report indicated that students with broadband at home have higher grade point averages, better digital skills, and are more likely to attend college or university.
Some states, including Maryland, have allocated federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to address the issues that Maryland students and schools have faced. Last June, Gov. Larry Hogan announced $210 million in funding to help Maryland students and schools affected by COVID-19. The funding was designated for remote learning enhancements, tutoring initiatives, and rural broadband.
While allocating federal funding to address digital gaps is a step in the right direction, more action is needed to close the divide that the pandemic has exposed, the Abell report concluded. Stakeholders in Maryland should focus on increasing awareness of affordable internet subscriptions, statewide broadband planning, partnerships for digital inclusion, and finding ways to ensure that residents can affordably obtain computers for at home use.
So important – great piece!