Max Cleland: “last October the U.S. Department of Commerce published its latest report on Internet access in the United States.…”

“last October the U.S. Department of Commerce published its latest report on Internet access in the United States. According to the Department's Falling Through the Net: Toward Digital Inclusion, more Americans than ever are connected to the Internet and groups that have traditionally been digital ``have nots'' are making significant gains. Although a record number of Americans have Internet access, the report concludes that a ``digital divide'' still exists ``between those with different levels of income and education, different racial and ethnic groups, old and young, single and dual-parent families, and those with and without disabilities.'' Increasing numbers of Americans are using the Internet to vote, shop, pay bills, take education courses, and acquire new skills. Now more than ever it is critical that all Americans have the tools necessary for full participation in the Information Age economy. However, the Commerce report finds that in some cases, the digital divide has expanded over the last 20 months. For example, the gap in Internet access rates between African American households and the nation as a whole is now 18 percent, 3 percent more than in December 1998. And the gap in Internet access between Hispanic households and the national average is 17.9 percent, 4.3 percent more than it was 20 months ago. America's higher education institutions are demonstrating similar trends, persistent inequities in a generally improving picture.”