We’ve written before about universal broadband access, cost-effective access to the internet for all. The US federal government has pledged $95 billion to help close the digital divide. Private internet providers have offered a variety of reduced cost options to provide internet access to low income families. Rural areas will be building the infrastructure to physically expand the reach of the internet.
All this activity may not be happening fast enough or encompass a wide enough population for some elected officials. The City of Baltimore intends to build a city-wide broadband network to ensure that its large low-income population will have affordable access to the high-speed broadband services they need for jobs, education, health, and quality of life.
Other communities are already providing low-cost broadband services by treating it as a public utility. That means rates are regulated to ensure that access is universal and profits are kept to a sustainable level. A list of US communities with municipally-owned internet providers can be found here. Other communities provide free wi-fi within their boundaries, allowing anyone to use the internet for free. A list of international communities providing free wi-fi can be found here.
It will be interesting to see what additional creative ways communities come up with to provide their residents with the cost-effective internet access necessary to thrive in the 21st century.
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