Choosing the Future

Access to the internet now shapes who can take part in politics, the economy and public life, yet it is spread very unevenly. In 2017, only about half of the homes in Flint, Michigan, a former industrial city, had broadband or satellite service, while more than nine in ten households in Sunnyvale, California, at the heart of Silicon Valley, were online. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed these gaps in both cities and rural areas, showing how central broadband has become to opportunity.

Earlier research focused mainly on whether broadband networks had been built and said far less about whether residents could afford the service and actually use it. Scientists also had little evidence on how adoption benefits a community as a whole. This book addresses that gap with new subscription data from 2000 to 2017 and detailed analysis covering states, counties, metropolitan areas, cities and neighborhoods. Its central argument is that the broadband use of a population works as a form of digital human capital, benefiting both communities and the individuals who live in them. The author finds that broadband has a causal effect in every type of community, with links to economic prosperity, growth, income, employment and policy innovation.

The gaps remain stark. In some urban neighborhoods and rural counties, as little as a quarter of residents have a broadband subscription, even when mobile plans are included. As cities develop smart technologies, economies change rapidly, and more information and services move online, the book contends that communities with widespread broadband use will be best placed to pursue inclusive innovation and to thrive.