What is the Impact?

Being disconnected is a cost, but while comparison of absolute numbers and values can highlight inequalities, they do not allow for a true understanding of the utility of products and services related to Internet connectivity. Instead we should realize that there are a wide range of things and their uses that ought to be considered when we think about divides as opposed to just differences in bandwidth levels and low cost equipment.

Why is this difficult?

Due to a lack of consensus on shared definitions as well as knowledge barriers to entry for those who are just coming into the space, there can be a disconnect due to rhetorical choices when discussing the same issues among various groups. This, along with disparate, underdeveloped, and underfunded means of measurement/ methods of assessment, results in limits to understanding the utility of products and services for different communities and/or groups of people.