Broadband Experts Reflect on Digital Divide Progress Five Years After Pandemic
'Where my hope lies is in the states,' said Deborah Lathen, president of Lathen Consulting.
WASHINGTON, March 13, 2025 - Industry experts gathered Wednesday to assess the state of broadband connectivity in America, highlighting both significant progress and persistent challenges in closing the digital divide since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
"We have made progress in terms of connecting, building out infrastructure and connecting Americans to broadband," said Deborah Lathen, president of Lathen Consulting and former head of the Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau. "But still there's a large portion of Americans who happen to be in that low-income area who are not connected."
Lathen, who wrote the first FCC report called "Understanding Broadband," noted that adoption remains a major challenge even as infrastructure expands. "We find that even when broadband is free, there's still a category of people who will not adopt broadband, who will not subscribe for various reasons – perceived lack of relevance, distrust, fear of cyber attacks."
Deborah Lathen
