Introduction
The digital divide—unequal access to reliable, affordable internet—is one of the most pressing equity issues in the United States today. Our project examines how broadband access and usage vary across geographic, demographic, and policy contexts. Using a wide range of visualizations, including maps, bar charts, and scatter plots, we explore how race, income, and location intersect to shape digital inequality. A central source informing our analysis is The Markup’s 2022 investigation, “Dollars to Megabits,” which reveals staggering disparities in internet service pricing, sometimes as much as 400 times the cost per megabit between neighbors. We also use broadband availability data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and broadband usage data from Microsoft. These data sets are relevant because they offer both provider-side (FCC) and user-side (Microsoft) insights, allowing us to trace how broadband gaps correlate with systemic issues such as redlining, underinvestment, and inconsistent policy. By combining spatial analysis with demographic and policy data, our project argues that the digital divide is not simply a matter of infrastructure but a deeply rooted social issue tied to patterns of exclusion and inequality. Specifically, we investigate how broadband access varies across geographic regions, how demographic factors such as race and income shape usage, and which state-level policy approaches are most effective in bridging the gap.
Literature Review
Current digital divide literature focuses largely on access to broadband infrastructure and the barriers preventing equitable access. Scholars generally agree that broadband access is essential for participation in the digital economy, education, and healthcare. Studies like those by Li et al. (2023) and Grubesic & Helderop (2022) have shown that racial and income disparities significantly influence access to high-quality broadband, with Black and Latinx communities lagging behind in broadband adoption. Many also point to the role of digital redlining, where ISPs offer subpar service in lower-income or predominantly minority neighborhoods, exacerbating existing social inequalities. However, contradictions exist regarding the root causes of the divide. Some scholars, such as Seelman (2010) and Vogels (2021), argue that affordability is the primary barrier, while others, like Canfield et al. (2019) and Weinstein et al. (2024), stress that a lack of infrastructure investment, particularly in rural or underserved urban areas, is the most critical issue. Despite these varying perspectives, there is a general consensus that targeted policy interventions—such as state-funded broadband initiatives and municipal broadband programs—are essential for addressing the divide. Much remains unexplored about the intersectionality of race, income, and geography in broadband policy, particularly regarding how state and federal policies can more effectively address these disparities. While studies have highlighted digital exclusion in broad strokes, few have examined how these structural inequalities manifest at the local level, such as California counties or Kansas City, and the long-term effects of targeted policy solutions on reducing these gaps.
Significance
Through our project, we examine how structural inequalities shape disparities in Internet access across geographic and demographic lines, and we assess the effectiveness of state-level policies that help close the divide. Rather than treating Internet access as a static, binary indicator, our research delves into the silence embedded in the gaps between broadband availability and actual usage, focusing on those underrepresented by the data. Our work is important because, while much existing research only focuses on one perspective of the digital divide, our project takes on a multidimensional approach by situating the issue in a broader socioeconomic and political context. We critically examine how intersectionality—such as income inequality, racial segregation, geographic isolation, and policy design—weaves intricately to construct the institutional digital exclusion we see today. By tracing these patterns to deeper structural and historical forces, including the legacy of practices like mortgage redlining, our project connects digital disparities to broader societal justice, which continues to shape access to infrastructure. Importantly, our project challenges the seemingly optimistic narrative of expanding, broadening coverage and reveals the disconnect between official measures of broadband success and the realities in underserved communities like Louisville. These nuances raise critical questions about which policies should be prioritized and which communities need to be at the forefront of the policy-making process. By answering these questions, our work enriches discourse on justice, inclusion, and autonomy in broadband policy design, pushing the field toward more human-centered and ethical frameworks.