According to the study "The Real Cost of the Digital Divide," authored by Nicholas J. Delgado, there are some real world costs to the digital divide. In addition to access to education, job opportunities, social networking and on-demand information, broadband Internet access allows users to save thousands of dollars. Internet Innovation Alliances Co-Chairman David Sutphen says, "For years, the digital divide was about computers in the classrooms; today it's about the money in your pocket."
Delgado adds, "After factoring in the average annual cost of home broadband connection — $490 — the typical American family could save more than $7,200 per year through discounts and sales only available to online consumers." For example, the typical American family spends $5,312 on entertainment (restaurant dining, sporting/concert tickets and leisure activities); with broadband access, that same family would save 51.7 percent on entertainment, which amounts to spending $2,747. Finally, someone is actually showing the real-world costs of not having broadband access. Why does it seem that poor people always end up paying more in the end?
Read more at Internet Innovation.