John Muscarella checks hardware and operating systems on computers that will be donated to digital literacy groups by the Kramden Institute in Durham, N.C. on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. | Cover photo by Alexandria deRosset
Story by Kyle Ennis
ANCHOR LEAD:
Time is running out before the plug is pulled and over 900 thousand people statewide potentially risk losing access to the internet. Kyle Ennis shares the details.
NATS: Plugging connection wire into a computer.
Track 1:
It’s something most people use every day and may often take for granted.
Anderson Clayton, North Carolina Democratic National Party Chair
“The internet is the big equalizer in society.”
TRACK:
Soon, more than 900 thousand North Carolinians could lose access to it.
Anderson Clayton, North Carolina Democratic National Party Chair
“One of the saddest things that can happen”
TRACK:
It’s all because a program geared toward giving low-cost access to the internet may go away. Something North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton says is unfortunate.
Anderson Clayton, North Carolina Democratic National Party Chair
“When someone has access to the internet they have access to every sort of creative control and power in the whole world.”
Cyndy Yu-Robinson, Executive Director of Kramden Institute
“People who need to work from home, need access, utility bills, payments, banking information, telehealth appointments”
TRACK:
The Affordable Connectivity Progam or ACP launched in December 2021. It offers discounted rates of up to $30 for eligible families for internet services. Nate Denny, Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Equity in North Carolina shows why the discount is necessary.
Natr Denny, Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Equity in North Carolina
“The average internet subscription is over $60. And for too many North Carolinians, that’s over, 2% of their monthly income, which is kind of a threshold we look at when we figure out whether internet is affordable or not. ”
TRACK:
The costs are not only rising for consumers but providers too.
Trey Rabon, President of AT&T North Carolina
“The cost of labor. Yeah. The wage that we pay, you know, our technicians, and the contractors who are installing infrastructure for us is increasing.”
TRACK:
With the program’s budget drying up, nearly one-tenth of North Carolinians will have to figure out another way to connect. the non-profit Kramden Institute, led by Cyndy Yu-Robinson, has worked to fill that digital gap for more than 21 years.
NATS: There we go.
Cyndy Yu-Robinson, Executive Director of Kramden Institute
“The digital divide has always been there, but I don’t think people really understood how impactful it was until the pandemic.”
TRACK:
Three years ago, Lacey Dickerson, the outreach coordinator at Kramden, took on the task of enrolling people in ACP. She says knowing the program could go away is disheartening.
Lacey Dickerson, Executive Director of Kramden Institute
“Stressed, it makes me wanna throw up? Like, if we’re being honest, it’s very stressful. It’s sad.”
TRACK:
One-tenth of North Carolinians await their fate. I’m Kyle Ennis, reporting.
TRT: 2:12
