Poverty Worsened by Poor Broadband

A study from the Center for Social Inclusion found a link between economic opportunity and broadband access in the Mississippi Delta, one of the poorest regions of the U.S.A.

Findings:

• People of color are the majority in zip codes with zero access to high speed Internet.
• Mississippi's Second Congressional Districts has the largest population of people of color and the lowest levels of broadband access.
• Broadband builds the economy. Therefore, poor communities of color are less able to build their economies or the state and national economy:
  • Zip codes with 8 or more Internet providers average 811 businesses. Those without high-speed internet access have a mere 7 businesses on average. Zip codes with 8 or more Internet providers average 13,212 jobs. Job opportunities in places with one, two, or even three Internet providers are a mere fraction of that, with an average of 646 jobs.
• Of the 124 applications for expanding broadband access in Mississippi, 87 were rejected and 37 are still awaiting a decision.

Poverty Worsened by Poor Broadband - Center for Social Inclusion