As an adjunct professor at two area colleges, I have observed firsthand the impacts of the digital divide on my students. The digital divide includes both the unequal access to technology and the resulting disparity in proficiency with computers. Ensuring access to affordable and reliable broadband internet is the first step in addressing this disparity. As County Legislator Rachel Barnhart points out in her report, “Bridging the Digital Divide in Rochester, NY”, Monroe County is well positioned to improve access to broadband internet due to our preexisting and underutilized public internet cables. By creating a public option for free or low-cost broadband service, we could significantly reduce the digital divide for students and attract more businesses to the County.
In the last several years, over 500 communities across the United States have taken steps towards creating a public broadband option, including Tullahome, Tennessee; Mount Washington, Massachusetts; Thomasville, Georgia; Wilson, North Carolina; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Let’s enhance access to broadband in Monroe County to make our community more attractive to businesses and to prepare our students for success.