The Federal Communications Commission has approved a new set of rules aiming to prevent “digital discrimination.” It means the agency can hold telecom companies accountable for digitally discriminating against customers — or giving certain communities poorer service (or none at all) based on income level, race, or religion.
It should be interesting to hear how they plan to make this determination. I just know from the rural side that the burden to serving poorer communities usually is both technical and financial, like building out a few miles of fresh fiber to serve a handful of residences. That’s why they have programs in place to push expansion into those areas, and the telecoms involved there are already bound by progress and reporting requirements. I guess it could be a different situation in areas where the population density is pretty consistent across the board.
I haven’t read through all the rules proper yet, but it looks like his specific circumstance you’re mentioning here has already been taken into account by the FCC. From the article:
Under the new rules, the FCC can fine telecom companies for not providing equal connectivity to different communities “without adequate justification,” such as financial or technical challenges of building out service in a particular area. The rules are specifically designed to address correlations between household income, race, and internet speed.
