Christopher Ali shares the critical impact of the nation’s digital divide in ADI-Manglona Lab event

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—The United States is perceived as a connected country, but in actuality, the nation displays a deep digital divide. Between 24 and 42 million American residents lack access to the internet, while 50 million households cannot afford a monthly broadband subscription, according to Dr. Christopher Ali, Ph.D., author of the book “Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity” and Pioneers Chair in Telecommunications at the Penn State Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

Ali recently spoke to Penn State Dickinson Law students in University Park, with a livestream to Carlisle, during the inaugural event in the Anuncia Donecia Songsong Manglona Lab Forum (ML Forum) series, co-sponsored by the Antiracist Development Institute at Penn State Dickinson Law. The Manglona Lab creates opportunities for law students to learn about the past and present of fairness in the law while learning legal skills.

Manglona Lab Director Bethany N. Schols introduced Ali, whose book provides an in-depth analysis of federal and state policies on rural broadband. His presentation emphasized the importance of broadband for economic development, education, health care, civic engagement, and public safety.

He began by explaining the digital divide, a gap between those who can access the internet, afford subscription prices, and navigate internet-connected devices like smartphones and laptops and those who cannot. Broadband plays a critical role in achieving those connections.

“Digital equity is the goal that we are trying to achieve with broadband policy. It is a world in which everyone is connected, everyone can afford their connections, and everyone has access to support, apps, and whatever else they need,” said Ali. “It is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services.”

Rural communities are more likely to lack broadband connectivity than urban communities. They face issues including accessibility and affordability, Ali noted, even though access in rural communities has been proven to raise the area’s economic productivity and lower unemployment. He also said that broadband is a super determinant of quality of health care—telehealth can be a gamechanger in rural areas lacking doctors, nurses, and health centers.

Ali criticized federal policies for favoring large providers and advocated for local solutions, citing Rock County, Minnesota's success with a fiber optic network. He also discussed the need for better broadband policies, including incentivizing competition and nationalizing infrastructure.

During the final portion of the presentation, Ali answered questions from the audience. He addressed the role unions play in building infrastructure, how the federal government might curb the tremendous influence of large telecom companies, and the methods he used to build trust with local communities during his research.

The first 20 law students in attendance received free signed copies of Ali’s book.