Is it govt role to bridge digital divide?

There is no question you need the internet to do just about anything these days. Whether it is paying our bills, doing homework or talking with doctors via tele-health, a strong internet connection is no longer a luxury, but a requirement. We saw during the pandemic high school students sitting in their car in store parking lots to access their internet so they can do their homework. At some salons, you even need the internet to make a haircut appointment. In many rural areas, high-speed broadband is hard to find, or unavailable, putting those living there as a disadvantage. That is why the federal government is allocating billions of dollars to connect more Americans to high-speed internet. More than $1 billion of that is being allocated to Wisconsin where there is a significant digital divide. But when did it become the government’s role to get everyone connected online? This isn’t some sort of utility, like water or natural gas that needs to be overseen by the government. Why isn’t the private sector stepping up to provide more internet service to rural areas? Instead, it seems, the taxpayers will be footing the bill for people who choose to live in rural areas to get connected to the information superhighway.