The
digital divide
What is the Digital Divide?
Refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas that have access to modern information and communication technologies, and those that do not. The digital divide can have significant social and economic consequences, as those without access to fast, affordable, reliable internet service may be unable to participate fully in modern society.
A digital divide exists on the type of technology available.
Fiber offers symmetrical speeds: incoming video quality (download) and outgoing video quality (upload) are the same. Cable is asymmetrical, withs low upload speeds that hinder working and attending school remotely.
A digital divide exists for the type of home you live in.
Even if you live in an area where fiber service is available next door or across the street, the home or community may not be served for fiber. Many apartment buildings and condominium units in Placerville do not have access to fiber.
A digital divide exists on access, affordability, and options.
Certain areas do not meet internet service providers (ISPs) qualifications for financial return on investment (ROI) formulas. Based on poor ROI, areas in red are not funded for fiber builds, and therefore residents can get cable.
These problems with a digital divide are driven by the location and financial modeling behind building the underlying infrastructure. This infrastructure, which constitutes the metaphorical roadways upon which internet access travels, should not be built entirely based on various formulas generated for the pure purpose of turning a profit.
The Digital Divide in Placerville
Digital Divide on access, affordability, and options. These areas have only one choice, cable, and everyone shares.
Digital Divide on the type of home you live in, even if fiber service is available or close by.
Digital Divide on location led to fiber not being built to the balance of Single-Family homes in the adjacent neighborhood, creating a fiber island.
High demand, low capacity, low Median Household Income, maximum population density in apartments and condos. Every new customer that fiber takes off of the cable network relieves bandwidth pressure on the Comcast shared neighborhood node.
Most apartment buildings do not have access to fiber.
Low demand, high capacity, high Median Household Income neighborhood receives all the benefits and improved performance of a fiber network.