Poverty in Mississippi Delta worsened by poor broadband

Madhis sez, "The Broadband in the Mississippi Delta report analyzes broadband availability and economic opportunity in
Mississippi and the impact it has on communities of color. With far too
little internet access in communities of color, hundreds of thousands
are effectively prevented from contributing to the economy."

Findings:

* People of color are the majority in zip codes with zero access to high speed Internet.
* Mississippi's Second Congressional Districts has the largest population of people of color and
the lowest levels of broadband access.
* Broadband builds the economy. Therefore, poor communities of color are less able to build
their economies or the state and national economy:
* Zip codes with 8 or more Internet providers average 811 businesses. Those without
high-speed internet access have a mere 7 businesses on average. Zip codes with 8 or
more Internet providers average 13,212 jobs. Job opportunities in places with one,
two, or even three Internet providers are a mere fraction of that, with an average of
646 jobs.
* Of the 124 applications for expanding broadband access in Mississippi, 87 were rejected and
37 are still awaiting a decision.

BROADBAND IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: A 21st CENTURY RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE

(Thanks, Madhis!)