Broadband Isn't for All...and maybe it shouldn't be?

[Paul Lamb]

Another big week in broadband news. The Finns have apparently staked a claim to be the first country to make broadband access a national right. (Note: apparently Australia and a few others beg to differ). Many nations are gunning to win the broadband beauty contest, and in countries like the U.S. money is being dumped into broadband expansion because of a real and perceived need of its importance as "the infrastructure challenge of our time." But as Randall Stross points out in this New York Times piece, some people may never elect to get on the Broadband train whether they have access to it or not. It's a point I also tried to make in a June Mercury News Oped, but with a slightly different emphasis on mobile overtaking fixed broadband.

IMHO, and based on some Pew Internet and American Life Project studies, various individuals and minority groups view the Internet as having little relevance in their lives. And its not just older folks. In California, for example, over 80% of Latinos use cell phones while less than 40% have broadband in the home. Of course part of this gap is due to cost, but there are also cultural, convenience, and relevance issues that need to be better understood. For some, being "wired" is not all that its made out to be...or at least not yet.

As a starting point it is important to understand how and why (or even if) the full strata of society engages with technology. And despite the obvious importance of making sure anyone can easily and affordably access and knows how to use the Internet, it is never a good idea to assume we know what's best for everyone. In fact, maybe the unplugged have figured something out that the rest of us have yet to understand?