- Allentown, PA is one of the nation’s least connected cities (2015 Benton Foundation report and Morning Call article)
- The Allentown Public Library has reported that its free internet computers have witnessed a dramatic surge in (sessions/log-on’s) every year since 2011.
(Source) Allentown Public Library: Sessions of Wireless Internet
(Year) (Number of individual computer internet sessions)
2011-2012 = 16,758
2012-2013 = 19,500
2013-2014 = 23,878
- At least 55 million Americans lack reliable broadband Internet access at home.
- In Pennsylvania, nearly one quarter of households lack Internet entirely, according to 2013 U.S. Census data.
- Allentown (PA), along with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Erie (PA), were among the least-connected cities with 100,000 or more residents. Seventy to 77 percent of households in those cities had Internet access.
Really interesting and shocking statistics. The one that stood out to me the most was the one that said “nearly one quarter of households lack internet entirely.” I feel like it would be super interesting to interview someone who doesn’t have any internet at all, but that might be difficult to find.