#internet gap

The proliferation of new smartphone owners, including Americans without home broadband access, has not been enough to close the most significant gaps in the digital divide, according to a new Pew Research Center study. “The Smartphone Difference,” released this week, shows that smartphone owners relying on the technology as their only link to the Internet are more likely to use it for a job hunt or to access other vital services. They’re also more likely to have their smartphone service cut off due to financial hardship. And that momentary inconvenience could be “the difference between hearing back from a job and being able to apply for a job,” said study coauthor Aaron Smith. “This could affect their financial situation in a meaningful way.”

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to open a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on ensuring the Open Internet. This marks (another) beginning in our work to advocate for enforceable rules that protect equitable access to online information. The American Library Association will actively engage—with our members, with our library allies, with the FCC and with Congress, if needed—in this vital proceeding.