[World Talk] US media： It is difficult for the United States to make up for its ＂digital divide＂ by implementing global cyber hegemony.

　　China Daily Online, September 21st According to comprehensive US media reports, the US Congress is moving towards the possibility that the government will shut down as early as next month. At present, there is no indication that the persistent differences between the two parties on the budget issue will end soon. At the same time, according to a report on the US Capitol Hill website on the 20th, the funds for an American Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) aimed at ensuring that all Americans can connect to the fast Internet, thus narrowing the "digital divide" are expected to run out in the spring of 2024.

　　Kathryn de Wit, the author of the article and director of the broadband access project of Pew Charity Trust Fund, pointed out that the two parties must find opportunities for cooperation without delay and bring tangible benefits to the public. One of the important projects is the ACP project, which was previously supported by politicians and voters of both parties. If the funds of this plan are allowed to dry up, millions of low-income families will suddenly lose the network connection that they now rely on for work, school and medical treatment. If the plan is stopped, the pockets of at least 20 million Americans will be immediately affected.

　　According to previous reports, the United States has been monitoring the calls of European leaders all the year round, and the military leak incident has also exposed the large-scale monitoring of its allies by the United States, and it is even more "not to mention" to obtain user privacy data on social networks. The United States has a bad track record in the field of network security, and the "matrix" and "network hegemony" are worthy of the name. According to the data of the Federal Communications Commission, there are 8.5 million "unserved" areas and 3.6 million "underserved" areas in the United States.

　　If the US Congress does not continue to provide funds for ACP after next spring, it means that the promise of broadband access in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Construction Act and other federal broadband plans will be broken, and the progress made over the years will come to nothing. According to a survey by the Digital Progress Institute, a bipartisan NGO, 78% of Americans support continuing to fund the program. But Congress did little to ensure that the plan continued.

　　The New York Times reported on 19th that the lack and uneven distribution of high-speed Internet had a great impact on American people’s study, work and life. The article writes that due to the lack of high-speed internet service, residents in the southeastern edge of Oklahoma are distressed every day. Wanda Finley, a resident of Sawyer, the state, is a fourth-grade teacher. She said that the satellite service at home is often too slow to use, and sometimes it is even interrupted for several days. Before going to work, she can’t arrange medical appointments, apply for prescription refills or pay bills online. Almost every weekend, she has to drive to school for about 40 minutes to prepare lesson plans, because the internet speed at home can’t be loaded at all.

　　The lack of broadband infrastructure is particularly serious in rural areas of the state, where Internet services are usually unavailable or limited. According to the definition of the new plan, about 24% of Americans in rural areas lack high-speed Internet service, while the proportion in urban areas is only 1.7%.

　　However, Evan Feinman, director of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s $42.5 billion project (ACP), said that they believe that federal and state funds will be enough to cover every unserviced and underserved area.

　　For Americans who lack high-speed internet access for a long time, the coverage of this fund will be crucial. Finley said that she wanted to assign more online research assignments to speed up her study. But among the 20 students in her class, only three students have enough internet access at home, and the rest can’t finish it.

　　A few miles away, there are about 600 residents in Towsenburg, Oklahoma. The mayor Tami Barnes said that the slow internet speed has had a "great impact" on the local economy. Although online bills have added a burden to many families, if there is a high-speed internet, more residents may see a doctor through the internet, instead of spending three hours to see a specialist.

　　Other states with low population density, such as Montana, may also face more challenges. In broadwater County, Montana in the northwest, many families are separated by large grasslands, while others are located in mountainous areas. Residents say it is difficult for them to work from home because of the lack of quick service. In southeastern Florida, many people still lack reliable broadband access. The U.S. Census Bureau even pointed out that among the 10 counties with the lowest per capita income in the state, 7 counties have the lowest broadband access rate. According to recent data, the number of registered ACP programs in Florida is about 1.4 million, accounting for 38% of eligible families in the state.

　　According to the related report of The Minnesota Daily)19 website on 19th, most of the courses of the University of Minnesota are completed through Canvas, which requires the internet to access. Students who live in the campus can use the free network of the university, but many students who live in off-campus dormitories cannot access the internet, and the internet cost is very high.

　　According to the data of American Midwest Higher Education Compact, 16% to 19% of students lack Internet-related assets. Baraka Aswan, a sophomore who lives off campus, said that they had considered reducing water and electricity bills through the ACP plan. Aswan shared a room with friends. He said that in the first week of college, his house could not use any wireless network, which made their first few days back to school very difficult. Aswan added that cheaper Internet can leave more room for other expenses such as groceries and rent.

　　(Compile: Ma Wei)