Coronavirus: How access to the internet is not created equal
As schools debate about returning to online learning, the lack of internet access for many Americans is a big sticking point.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
- Currently in communities like Hardyston, Lafayette, Montague, Sandyston, Wantage and West Milford, fewer than half of households have access to high-speed internet.
NEWTON — Towns across the northern tier of Sussex and Passaic counties will soon be “wired” through a $50 million federal grant which will bring fiber optic cable to their streets.
In communities like Hardyston, Lafayette, Montague, Sandyston, Wantage and West Milford, fewer than half of households have access to high-speed internet, according to U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-Wyckoff.
The North Jersey congressman joined local officials on Tuesday to tout the funding he helped secure for the state’s Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity program. It’s part of a bigger, $523 million “Internet for All” push across New Jersey that draws on money from a variety of state, federal and private resources.
“Broadband is an essential utility now,” Gottheimer said. “It’s as necessary as water, sewer service, electricity.”
The initiative is designed to bring fiber-optic technology to the “last mile,” a term referring to street and road lines. Individual customers must pay for the connection that then brings service into their property, be it a business, home or apartment complex.
The program allows for nonprofits, cooperatives, utilities, internet providers and municipalities to seek funding to help build the infrastructure.
Tuesday’s announcement was held at the Newton headquarters of Planet Networks, an internet provider and installer owned by Robert Boyle. He said he expects last-mile work to be completed by the end of the year.
For some towns in Sussex County, such as Fredon, Branchville, Frankford, Newton and Sussex, the fiber-optic cable access is already available. He expects the towns in which installation is currently underway to be completed by the end of the year.
Once the street and road lines are in place, customers will have access to not only cable television and internet service, but also to additional services that rely on high-speed connections such as burglar and fire alarm systems and closed-circuit television.
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Gottheimer said the average household pays $118 per month for internet and cable service. But in rural areas, prices can be much higher as there are fewer customers per mile to spread the cost over. Installation costs can rise if there are no utility poles already in the ground or underground work needs to be done, he added.
Experts predict that one in five employees will be working remotely by the end of next year and more services, such as doctor visits, will be done online, Gottheimer said.
“Yet, across our country, one in five households are still not connected to the internet.”
There are still areas where school children need to go to the local library to access a computer tied into the internet, and, in some communities, the local McDonalds is the only neighborhood “hot spot” with Wi-Fi available.
“Fifteen percent of Americans — nearly 50 million people — rely solely on their smartphone to access the internet,” Gottheimer said.
The latest push builds on $190 million that the state received in the early days of COVID to expand and improve broadband access into more rural parts of New Jersey, including in Sussex County. That helped connect almost 100,000 households, according to Gottheimer.
“We’ve made great progress but there is still more to do and now is the time to push harder than ever,” he said.
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Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
