The city of New York reached an agreement this week to install wireless internet in over 200 shelters by Aug. 31 so 11,000 kids can learn remotely, in just one attempt to bridge the digital divide laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic.
That gulf has exposed how difficult it is to access remote health care, book an appointment online for a coronavirus vaccine, or learn online without reliable access to the internet. An analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data published by the nonprofit organization USAFacts in September found that 4.4 million households with children didn't have regular access to computers for online learning at home.
This lack of internet access can interfere with education, Gerald Chertavian, the chief executive of a job training organization for young people called Year Up, told Yahoo Finance's editor-in-chief, Andy Serwer, in a new interview.
"Broadband is a big impediment if not solved," said Chertavian, explaining that his organization has provided Wi-Fi hot spots for young people it works with. "Our young adults are consuming education online every day."
In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimated that 18 million Americans, roughly 5.5% of the population, lacks internet access, mostly in rural parts of the U.S. That number could be even higher.
FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told a Congressional committee in September that the agency vastly underestimates the number of people who lack access, noting that other reports put the number at 42 million to 162 million. The White House recently estimated that 35% of rural Americans lack access to broadband at "minimally acceptable speeds."
"Solutions that provide greater broadband access, especially for low-income communities and rural communities, to me is absolutely critical," Chertavian said. "Because the way in which we're gaining information, education, knowledge, is through a connection — is through the internet."
Chertavian spoke to Serwer in an episode of “Influencers with Andy Serwer,” a weekly interview series with leaders in business, politics, and entertainment.
For more than two decades, Chertavian has run Year Up, which has served more than 30,000 students across 35 campuses. Individuals who go through the organization's program attain an average starting salary of $43,000, Chertavian said.
A former Wall Street banker and tech entrepreneur, he seeks to afford the next generation the same opportunity to achieve professional success that he enjoyed.
The CEO's hopes for greater broadband access could come to fruition if Congress adopts President Joe Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan, which proposes spending $100 billion to expand broadband internet access. That access is crucial to creating equal opportunity, according to Chertavian.
"So we've got to address that as a country, that infrastructural element of our country to ensure that that playing field is more level for folks to use the tools we have today to live their lives," he said.
-Additional reporting by Max Zahn
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