An unexpected digital divide? A look at internet speeds and socioeconomic groups

Abstract

As societies and economies continue to digitize, the need to understand the digital divide beyond binary availability or adoption metrics is increasing. Understanding the quality and performance of home internet—measured by internet speeds—among different socioeconomic groups contributes to the complex digital equity landscape at a time when all U.S. states and territories are completing digital equity plans. Using 2021 speed test data from Ookla, this study conducts spatial regressions at the census tract level to find that most of the sociodemographic factors associated with lower home internet adoption rates (e.g., rural, poor, older) remain when looking at actual internet speeds. However, an unexpected finding—supported by emerging research—that White non-Hispanic residents are using the internet at slower speeds compared to the two largest minority groups of Blacks and Hispanics suggests a need to potentially reassess the design of digital equity programs and policy interventions.