The Internet Is Great, If You Can Get It

Low-Income Americans Face Internet Access That Is Slow, at Risk of Disruption:

The good news is that the vast majority of Americans, even low-income ones, now have some access to the Internet. The bad news is that many are “under-connected,” with mobile-only access that is subject to data caps or interruption due to payment issues.

A new study of lower-income parents found that 94 percent had some kind of Internet connection, but more than half said their connections were slow and almost a quarter rely solely on a mobile device. One in five said their Internet was cut off some time in the last year due to inability to pay. The study, conducted by Sesame Workshop’s Joan Ganz Cooney Center and Rutgers University, also found disparities based on ethnicities.

Remember when the Internet was talked about as being “the great democratizer”? Good times.

Compared with other countries, Americans still pay the most for the slowest service.