Lai John, Widmar Nicole O
Appl Econ Perspect Policy. 2021 Mar;43(1):458-464. doi: 10.1002/aepp.13104. Epub 2020 Oct 12.
The digital divide limits opportunities for those without ready access to Internet. Movement online of essential activities during COVID-19 took inadequate Internet service from inconvenient to emergency/crisis for many households. A negative correlation between rurality and Internet speed was found at the county level, highlighting the struggle for rural areas. Schools tackle challenges of providing equitable educational access by attempting to provide access for students, while even households with service available struggle to maintain sufficient speeds and/or can afford it. Essential activities moved online, yet sufficient Internet is an essential public service that remains unattainable for many US households.
数字鸿沟限制了那些无法便捷接入互联网的人群的机会。在新冠疫情期间，许多基本活动转移到线上，这使得互联网服务对众多家庭而言，从不便变为了紧急/危机需求。在县级层面发现农村地区与网速之间存在负相关，凸显了农村地区面临的困境。学校试图为学生提供网络接入，以此应对提供公平教育机会的挑战，然而，即便有网络服务的家庭也难以维持足够的网速和/或负担相关费用。基本活动转移到了线上，但充足的互联网服务仍是一项基本公共服务，许多美国家庭仍无法实现。
