Addiction is never something one can take lightly. An overdose of anything can have harmful and lasting impact on your health and body. You’d probably think we’re talking about substance abuse, but in fact. We’re talking about the addiction that overtaken our youth by a storm. This youth considers Internet Inequality and a Wi-Fi connection to be their oxygen. It’d be pretty common for any individual to be casually watching a show on their computer as well as scrolling through Facebook or Instagram simultaneously.
Internet Connection
If your internet inequality connection is strong. You can get lost in the black hole of the internet quite easily. The internet is no less than a drug. It’s so hard to put down. Once you get engrossed in it, it takes you in for a whole ride and you’d even lose track of time. Any law essay help service would point out that it’s no wonder the Internet is often referred to as “the digital cocaine” of our time.
But that’s not all. The real conversation kicks off when we talk about internet inequality. Sure, it’s addictive and all, but we sometimes forget that we’re taking this luxury for granted. There are still millions of Americans that are denied access to the Internet. And the situation doesn’t seem like it’s going to get better any time soon.
Inequality in Rural areas
Although, many presidential candidates have been jumping on the bandwagon of promising facilities to the citizens as a part of their campaign. They give false hopes like they’re going to improve the infrastructure and the broadband. As a result of which people in rural areas will have even access to lightning-fast broadband that connects them to the rest of the world. A number of times, people are deprived of this right and fail to either launch their businesses or can’t even complete their education after high school.
This digital divide hits poor and rural Americans pretty hard. Did you know nearly 30% of rural Americans don’t have access to broadband internet inequality? Just by the way, we aren’t even talking about the 3G or 4G mobile data. So you can just imagine what it is like living in rural areas without the Internet. These celebrity influencers wouldn’t even last an hour.
The Era of the Internet
You may find our comparison of Wi-Fi to that of oxygen a bit absurd. But it’s a fact. In today’s world, the need of a broadband connection is a must. Because we’re relying on the internet far too much. For instance, whenever there’s a medical emergency that calls for immediate attention from a doctor. Our instinct is to get help from one, and one such effective way is through tele-neurology as most physicians are not available 24/7. This way, you save valuable time by summoning a physician within a few minutes and keeping the patient safe by avoiding wasting their ticking clock. Because depending upon the severity of their circumstance, every minute of theirs could be precious.
In today’s life, everything is happening online. From healthcare to housing to employment and especially education. With the work-from-home in effect from the past year, having an internet connection at home was a basic necessity. But there are three million children across the country who are unable to do their homework because of their inadequate internet connection.
Identifying the Reasons
The real question is why Americans can’t get access to? The answer might be perhaps with the Internet Service Providers whose job it is. But companies like Verizon and AT&T. Who are the biggest ISPs in the country, are focusing their attention on investing in mobile networks. If you’d like fixed broadband at home. You’d have to deal with Comcast or Charter. To say these companies are terrible would be an understatement. In 2016, Comcast was fined $2 million for charging users for services they didn’t even sign up for in the first place. One time a customer reported that she wanted to cancel her service. But she wasn’t allowed to until she actually proved that her husband had died. It positively cannot get any more ridiculous than that.
The company has been labelled as the “most hated company in America” after they began sending bills to their customers by swapping the first names of clients with abusive swear words. The reason behind Comcast being such an awful service provider is that they do not have any incentive to provide better services. Given they have no competition in certain areas. Thus, people have no other choice than to put up with them.
But there are three million children across the country who are unable to do their homework because of their inadequate internet connection.
Performance Issues by ISPs
In truth, Comcast and Charter have a monopoly. They divide the areas and choose to rule terribly over people. Just see for yourself. 26 million Americans have broadband through Comcast. Whereas 31 million Americans have broadband through Charter. Isn’t that fishy? As long as these two operate within the specified area and terrorize people for their internet connection, they thrive on their businesses without interfering with one another.
Another issue that arises is that the government is just sitting around ducks and letting this broadband cartel run its course. Instead of caring about the greater good, they’re letting Comcast and Charter get away with it. At the end of the day, the entire blame falls on Federal Communications Commission. The agency which is run by Ajit Pai, who’s notoriously known for siding with companies he’s supposed to be regulating. Despite the Telecom Act of 1996 mandating that the FCC has to make sure that every American has access to telecom services, it hasn’t been happening exactly.
Government’s Role
According to the government, 21 million Americans don’t have high-speed Internet, which may not sound that bad, but a private study conducted by Microsoft found that that number could be as high as 163 million. So, what’s the actual number of people who have no Internet? To be honest, we have no idea. This isn’t the first time utility companies have failed Americans. In the 1930s, rural Americans didn’t have electricity because it was expensive for companies to build power lines. So in 1936. Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act. It provided infrastructure for all Americans to get electricity.
Where there’s a will there’s a way
At this point, some cities have banded together in order to set up their own Internet. It’s become known as municipal broadband, and it is quite phenomenal. It turns out when cities create their own Internet and their own broadband, customers get faster speeds, lower prices, and better customer service. But Cable companies are pulling out all the stops to fight Municipal Broadband. Just have a look at Tennessee, it has been an Internet battleground for the last decade.
Unfortunately, lobbying from broadband companies has worked across the country, 26 states now have laws restricting or prohibiting cities from creating their own Internet service. One such example is the state of Colorado. Because a recent study showed if Fort Collins started their own Internet services, Comcast could lose up to $2 million per month.
That’s why this urgent situation calls for direct intervention so that other people get also get an internet connection and are not deprived of their basic rights. Any online assignment help UK would asses to that.
