Rural areas often lack sufficient broadband internet service.
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The digital divide is more than just a catch-all term for inequities in internet access. It is something real, tangible, and visible.
Because we can see it, we can map it.
Because we can map it, we can solve it.
Consider this analogy: A city, divided by a wide bay, plans to build two bridges to connect its sides. Planners consult a digital basemap generated by a geographic information system (GIS), which layers datasets to inform their decisions.
A Census data layer highlights population density, pinpointing where bridges are most needed. A topographical layer identifies challenging terrains, indicating construction risks and costs.
One bridge can be built quickly, serving a densely populated area. The other, though crucial, faces steep palisades and deep waters, requiring more time and resources. Until then, residents there have limited city access.
The map focuses the bridge needs and outlines the city’s construction steps, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful planning and prioritization.
The digital divide is just as mappable. It is a spatial problem, involving where people are in relation to the infrastructure necessary to connect them to broadband. The map demonstrates the need and highlights ways to move forward.
When the Divide is Hard to Fix
Northern Ireland has the United Kingdom’s starkest digital divide. The per-capita number of people who lack highspeed broadband is roughly twice that of London. The divide is also visible within Northern Ireland itself, with many rural areas having a much lower broadband adoption rate than cities like Belfast.
Project Stratum, a publicly funded program, launched in 2020 to bring broadband access to 81,000 Northern Ireland homes in areas where telecoms have declined to extend fiber networks.
The telecom that won the Project Stratum contract needed a way to manage an effort of this scope. They would need to increase efficiency to undercut the large expense of installing infrastructure.
The answer: adopt a geographic approach.
That would mean first addressing the situation using GIS mapping to determine: Where are those 81,000 homes located? How can we best reach them?
Next, the telecom abandoned the legacy project management method that relied on paper records and spreadsheets. Instead, crews installing the fiber around Northern Ireland use maps on mobile devices. When a task is completed, the map gets updated. If there is any question about how the task has been resolved, embedded photos can be added to the map.
In this way, the shared map offers a continuously updated record of Project Stratum’s progress. It boosts transparency and communication among constituents, telecom stakeholders, and government officials.
When the Divide Is Hard to See
In Southern California’s Los Angeles County, the digital divide is more entrenched and less immediately visible, compared to Northern Ireland. With 10 million people living in 88 different cities, it can be hard to see the divide, understand it, and evaluate solutions.
Delete the Divide, a county-wide initiative, advances digital equity through partnerships, infrastructure investments, and technology resources. Maps are fundamental.
About ten percent of LA county’s households earn less than $50,000 per year. Delete the Divide started by overlaying income maps with maps showing neighborhoods where more than 20% of people have no internet access. The spatial analysis also pointed to a racial imbalance, with white-majority neighborhoods much more likely to have internet service.
Motivated by the data they could clearly see on a map, lawmakers approved an ambitious plan to improve internet access throughout the county. They mobilized a public-private partnership to install fiber networks in prioritized areas.
GIS maps and analysis helped Delete the Divide demonstrate demand to service providers. Maps highlight the locations of public assets across the county, showing service providers where they might place antennas on light posts and buildings to expand fiber networks. The initiative has even sparked competition among service providers, ultimately driving down costs.
A Multifaceted Approach to Shrinking the Divide
Addressing the digital divide often means fighting a battle on several fronts.
It requires strategic alliances among government, private industry, and nonprofits. Businesses must make precise decisions regarding where to locate operations. Government agencies need to better understand and allocate resources. Infrastructure management companies and internet service providers must modernize their assets and networks for efficiency.
As an enterprise-level technology, GIS supports all these efforts. Every aspect of building an equitable broadband network involves location and geography—making GIS uniquely suited to the work.
Closing the divide must remain a priority. If we agree that broadband is as essential as electricity, we must commit to bridging the divide entirely.
It’s a journey too important—and too complex—to embark on without a map.
Learn more about how GIS technology can be used to bridge the digital divide.
