Blank Screen Exiles

A year ago, if my internet went out, it would be an inconvenience, even if it lasted a few hours. Today, under lock-down/stay-home/shelter in place, it would be a disaster.  For some; children, seniors and those physically or socially isolated, without the internet, it is a disaster.

In a pandemic world, the emerging utility of the internet has become crucial, overnight. The bits of the internet which early adapters and the younger audiences had already welcomed, have found an entirely new and desperate audience. Yes, some of us have been proselytizing these services for years. Now the skeptical, resistant, uniformed or disenfranchised segments of society have been dragged in without much choice..

This is a problem.  The internet, in the US, and most of the world, is not considered a public utility. It is not government owned and access to the public is not guaranteed.  The time has come for that to change.

The digital divide is certainly the original issue. However, the problem has now grown exponentially in its depth and complexity. It is not just about addressing economic disadvantage, or geographic bias, but the need to establish a national policy on primary internet availability and access regardless of any qualifiers.

We are not talking about nationalizing the internet, Google, Facebook or any other company, so calm down.

The challenge, and opportunity, is to ensure that every American has access to the internet. It is a necessity. For the safety and security of individuals as well as the economic and social stability of the country. The commerce and interactions over the internet are as integral a part of business and social interaction as going to the mall, the coffee shop, the doctor, or religious observances. 

A universal national service would be for basic access to necessary services such as email, medical, appointments, banking and other low bandwidth demands. This would not be a service to facilitate video games, movie or music streaming.

More robust, high bandwidth services would still be commercially available. There is no changing that. Think broadcast radio and television as opposed to cable or satellite services. Such free services already exist in some developing countries.

There are many challenges connected to such an idea. Free national public internet access does not automatically eliminate economic disparity. However, once the core, primary ability to access the internet is a given, the motivation and urgency to close the gap on the other related issues runs much higher. We must also be prepared for segments of society who will oppose such a change. The potential for such a service to change the face of our country is very real. That will threaten some people. We can be certain of that. 

The internet has been integrated into our lives for some time, it is now integral for living. Until we make our best effort to give everyone access to the basic tools for participating in the economy, society and government, it is impossible to say we honestly believe in freedom, equal opportunity and justice.