"The pandemic has raised awareness of the need for universal access to high speed internet service in the United States. This book shows us that the debate about internet access is but the latest chapter in a long history of debates about universal service in the United States. This book analyzes the history, costs, and benefits of providing universal access to technologies and services, includ…
Universal access—the idea that certain technologies and services should be extended to all regardless of geography or ability to pay—evokes ideals of democracy and equality that must be reconciled with the realities on the ground. The COVID-19 pandemic raised awareness of the need for access to high-speed internet service in the United States, but this is just the latest in a long history o…