An Overview of Internet Access in the US
Jonathan Chou is a financial, strategic, and operations management executive with over 25 years of experience on the international stage. He has led private and public companies with annual revenue over $1 billion. Now the senior vice president and CFO at UTAC, Jonathan Chou has supported a range of business objectives during his career, from the equipment solutions for the development of advanced components used for the fabrication of semiconductors to increasing high-speed Internet access for homes, schools, and public services throughout the United States.
The United States ranks third in the world with more than 313 million Internet users. The nation’s digital population has consistently grown over the past 20 years, and nearly 91 percent of the country now has Internet access. The COVID-19 pandemic and related work-from-home orders have placed even greater importance on reliable, high-speed Internet access, which is something that’s not available in every part of the country.
A 2018 Federal Communications Commission study found that about 14 million people in the US have no access to the Internet, while an additional 25 million lack access to fast, reliable broadband Internet. Some experts feel these numbers may be conservative. Microsoft estimates are closer to 163 million individuals without Internet access.
Despite the United States’ high Internet usage, the nation ranks 10th in broadband download speeds, and citizens pay far more than users in other countries for comparable services. This lack of fast and affordable Internet is felt heavily in rural communities. Similarly, economically challenged neighborhoods typically have less access to broadband Internet than wealthier communities. In fact, a 2017 NDIA study found that neighborhoods throughout Dallas and Cleveland were experiencing slower download speeds simply because AT&T did not install the latest broadband improvements in those communities.
One step toward improving reliable, high-speed Internet access for all US residents is to allow qualified constructors to work on fiber connectivity projects, and not just local telephone companies. This is more likely to happen if people start to demand change from local, state, and federal government officials.
