Access to the internet has become a virtual necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, with workplaces, classrooms, and entire communities moving online. Despite this—and despite the fact that around 98.4 percent of North Carolinians have access to broadband—only 59.4 percent of households statewide subscribe to an internet service. The effects of this digital divide are particularly pronounced for low-income and minority households, who rely on the internet to apply for jobs and unemployment but are statistically the least likely to subscribe to broadband.

Follow Editorial Assistant Cole Villena on Twitter or send an email to [email protected]. 

Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.