| Ever since broadband internet systems have | | | | companies, there are other equally good and |
| become firmly entrenched in the modern | | | | worthy satellite companies that are offering their |
| landscape a very particular term has emerged | | | | services at prices that are a good bit below those |
| that quite poignantly points out the inequality in | | | | of cable per month. More and more Americans |
| access to such technology: the digital divide. The | | | | and people living all across the world are beginning |
| digital divide has been the flip-side of the coin of | | | | to access broadband services thanks to the |
| what many people have boasted as the | | | | favorable prices of satellite internet and thanks to |
| "democratizing" effects of the internet; it is the | | | | the fact that satellite providers have made the |
| manifestation of the unfortunate reality that even | | | | ISP much more competitive and |
| the most leveling technologies don't end up | | | | consumer-friendly. |
| reaching all levels of the society. | | | | Then again, for those that consider the divide to |
| The digital divide can be viewed in many ways: in | | | | be a rural/urban issue, satellite internet technology |
| one sense it is a class issue, with affluent persons | | | | is single-handedly taking broadband out to the |
| having easier access to broadband connections | | | | disparate and far-flung reaches of the country |
| than people in more restricting economic | | | | and the wider world where it has never been |
| situations; in another sense, it is an issue of urban | | | | experienced (much less heard of) before. That is |
| versus rural location as the cities and their suburbs | | | | because satellite communications are truly global in |
| are hooked into high speed cable grids while | | | | their reach, being able to connect people in the |
| remote communities are offered no such service. | | | | heart of the biggest metropolis at the same |
| No matter what way you look at it, one thing is | | | | speeds and with the same reliability as people |
| for sure: satellite internet technology is going to | | | | living in the most isolated and unheard of spot in |
| mean the end of the digital divide over the next | | | | the untamed wilds. There is surely no other kind |
| few years, and this revolutionary technology has | | | | of internet service that is affording rural |
| already begun to breach the digital divide to | | | | inhabitants the quality of internet service that |
| wonderful results. | | | | today's leading satellite providers are offering, and |
| When considering the digital divide as being an | | | | it is unlikely that that will ever change. |
| issue of money, satellite internet technology has | | | | All of this means, ultimately, a more equitable and |
| already done a lot to overcome such disparities | | | | democratic world where access to information is |
| by making high speed internet access available at | | | | distributed more evenly and where the ability to |
| a wonderfully accessible price. Though many | | | | influence the things going on in society is at its |
| satellite providers offer prices that are the | | | | peak across the board. Surely this will be the |
| equivalent of or slightly higher than those of cable | | | | most lasting legacy of satellite internet. |