Microsoft president: ‘Shame on us if we fail' to provide broadband internet to more Americans

Our broadband system needs help. Americans have vastly different abilities to get online or to connect at decent speeds, depending on where they live.

The problem is acute in rural areas but also an issue in cities where certain neighborhoods, often those populated by communities of color, can have far worse connections than people living just a few miles away.

And the stay-at-home orders during the pandemic highlighted the problem, as employees worked remotely and children took classes over Zoom. Congress has been trying to help with billions already allocated to improve internet access. By Sept. 27, the House of Representatives will vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill that could allot another $65 billion to improve broadband access.

But more money won't necessarily solve a basic problem: Nobody in Washington or the private sector appears to know precisely which areas of the U.S. need better broadband access.

“We have the wherewithal as a country to solve this problem in the next four years,” Microsoft (MSFT) President Brad Smith told Yahoo Finance Live during an interview this week, referring to the need to improve internet access. “I would almost say shame on us if we fail."

‘We've been banging this drum for several years’

Microsoft is just one of the many groups outside of Washington trying to at least understand the scope of the problem.

The company has published maps showing the digital access divide may be worse than we think. Government data shows that around 14.5 million Americans don’t have any access to broadband. But Microsoft’s internal data finds a much larger swath of Americans — about 120.4 million people — don’t currently use the internet at broadband speeds, defined as download speeds of 25 mbps and upload speeds of 3 mbps.

“We've been banging this drum for several years,” Smith says of his company’s efforts to improve broadband connectivity in underserved areas, touting their creation of “the preeminent map of the United States in terms of just enabling people to see who has broadband and who does not.”

Other companies have their own efforts. A company called Lightbox has detailed new maps coming out just this week built upon real estate data. Some state governments have also undertaken efforts to see how connected their own citizens actually are.

But most agree that Washington will have to do its part to solve the problem. Vickie Robinson, the general manager at Microsoft’s Airband Initiative, told Congress earlier that year that Washington will hopefully build on Microsoft’s work and “pave the way to accurately identify and address existing gaps in broadband coverage.”

‘The best time to update our broadband maps was years ago’

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently has its own map with data down to the Census block. However, the data has been criticized as not being detailed enough and also offering faulty information.

Last year, the FCC received a round of funding and a mandate to upgrade its maps through a bill called the Broadband DATA Act, which put aside $65 million towards the effort. The FCC has already released some upgrades like a new mobile broadband map, but comprehensive maps are not expected to not be ready until 2022.

“The best time to update our broadband maps was years ago,” an FCC spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. “But the second-best time is now — and we’re on it.”

Lawmakers have tried to push the FCC to act as quickly as possible to improve its maps, noting that delays will affect programs already launched by the various COVID-19 stimulus bills over the last 18 months. A recent letter from Republican lawmakers also pointed out that good maps are needed “to ensure the federal government does not overbuild or duplicate other public funding or private investments.”

Jonathan Spalter, the president and CEO of USTelecom, has echoed the concern that insufficient maps will mean money being sent to where it’s not needed. "Until we finish the FCC mapping project, we’re just continuing to play pin the tail on the donkey — and given broadband’s central role in our lives, we must do better,” he said recently.

As for Smith, he says time is of the essence as people are being left behind. "I just don't think our country can afford that," he said.

Ben Werschkul is a writer and producer for Yahoo Finance in Washington, DC.

Biden’s infrastructure plan could push more cities to offer internet service directly

The coronavirus stimulus deal could give you a break on your internet bill

'As essential as roads': How one of America's most rural states became a broadband leader

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit.