As your cyber liaison I feel it is my duty to make you aware of the increasing cyber divide that plagues rural Vermont.
According to [https://broadbandnow.com/Vermont] we are the 36th most connected state. However, with a population of only 623,960, this should be a very simple problem to correct. By reducing the “cyber divide” across the state, we stand to bring the community closer together, not only for safety and well being, but for commerce and democracy. Craigslist, facebook marketplace, air bnb, and uber are all examples of the internet stimulating the local economy. With over 1/6th of our population not connected to the internet, we are losing out on a lot of potential income. In the interest of economic stimulation, we should make the internet universally accessible, regardless of the cost.
But what about the people that won’t purchase internet access? “For the 24 percent who do not purchase the Internet at home, only 6 percent (1 percent of the entire sample) say that they plan to purchase it within the coming year; the majority of those who do not purchase the internet at home (64 percent of non-purchasers, 16 percent of the overall sample) say that they will never purchase Internet services. Older respondents were more likely to say that they will never purchase broadband access.” – (Vermont.gov 2014)
To this I suggest we enforce a new law. Anyone in Vermont selling internet, what in civilized society is considered a utility, should provide a reasonable option for free. Just as any establishment that serves alcohol must provide patrons for water, any organization that seeks to profit from wireless subscriptions, must also provide a reasonable stream at no charge. .5 mbps is nothing to write home about, but in the instance of emergency, it allows you contact or information as needed.
By providing a nominal connection speed, it ensures anyone with the ability to connect to the internet is allowed to, regardless of economic status.