The Big Question: Can the U.S. Close Its Digital Divide?
A Q&A with Rose Stuckey Kirk, head of corporate social responsibility at Verizon, on how to expand broadband access in underserved communities — and why companies shouldn’t shy away from political controversies.
After a year of learning online, students need to catch up.
Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
This is one of a series of interviews by Bloomberg Opinion columnists on how to solve today’s most pressing policy challenges. It has been condensed and edited.
Romesh Ratnesar: According to the federal government, an estimated 21.3 million Americans, or 6.5% of the population, lack reliable access to broadband Internet. President Biden’s infrastructure plan calls for investing $100 billion to expand high-speed Internet connectivity. However, some experts contend that the administration is underestimating the need for broadband and that significantly more funding is required to reach underserved areas.