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The Internet is a great benefit for people who want information. Some folks who like to dig a little deeper, whether looking for jobs, accessing library databases, or connecting live with others around the world, get stuck in the slow lane, though, using dial-up modems to catch a little peek of what's out there. Isn't that good enough?

In a word, no. Day by day, the complexity of the materials you want to access via the Web increases. This means larger file sizes, which may be wholly impractical for download. It also means multimedia audiovisual access, which modem users must pass up in most cases. For the occasional individual to be limited to low-speed access is marginally acceptable, since that may be something they have decided to do. If low-income communities are unable as groups to bring broadband access into their homes, there may be bigger problems.

Information Can Be Power

For most people using computers and Internet access to run their daily lives, news, weather, and other information access have transformed them. They can find out things that will affect them tonight or tomorrow before most of the people on the street know about them. They can get tickets to community events right at home. They can decide whether to ride a motorcycle or drive a car today, based on up-to-the-minute weather sites with radar pictures.

Someone living in a low-income neighborhood may use a computer modem to access some of this information, but how many can make it a daily habit, given that the speeds of access are usually torture while you're waiting? National news broadcasts frequently include invitations to "view the rest of this story online" at their Web site. This is a wonderful option, but for modem users text-based extras are their only choices.

Making it worth the while of cable companies to bring high-speed Internet access to low-income households will give more people access to both multimedia sites and large computer files. Downloads that might have taken hours can then be finished in minutes. This capability would give information access a whole new meaning, and getting better information faster can lead to more confidence in social interactions. Whether it's You Tube, MySpace, or CNN, better access can lead to greater participation and even, for the kids in the family, better grades.

Why Low-Income Neighborhoods May Be Left Out

Cable companies and others with information access to sell want to make a profit. There's nothing

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