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Revisiting the Digital Divide in the COVID ‐19 Era
Author(s) -
Lai John,
Widmar Nicole O.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
applied economic perspectives and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.4
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 2040-5804
pISSN - 2040-5790
DOI - 10.1002/aepp.13104
Subject(s) - the internet , rurality , digital divide , covid-19 , service (business) , business , internet access , internet privacy , economic growth , public relations , political science , rural area , marketing , computer science , economics , world wide web , medicine , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law
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.