Cities pledge to make connectivity a utility as COVID-19 exposes the digital divide

Estimates as to the size of the digital divide vary, with figures suggesting that anywhere from 21 million to 162 million citizens in the US lack access to broadband or connectivity of an adequate speed. What is clear is that the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare like never before the fundamental impact this can have on people’s lives, as everything from education to work, shopping for essentials and even access to critical information and services has shifted online.

Tackling the digital divide is not new on the local government agenda but progress has been somewhat slow and – fittingly – patchy. Several North American cities on a recent Cities Today Institute roundtable shared how the pan...