A major point in the opinions teachers expressed to me about digital inequality and the digital divide in Montana related to low-income families. The school where I am employed is the same school that I conducted the interviews at, and each teacher interviewed mentioned that many of our families do not have access to internet and other digital devices simply because they do not have the money. The statistics I found online at
http://www.spotlightonpoverty.org/map-detail.aspx?state=montana verify many of the concerns the teachers had. In addition to the lack of ISPs, many Montanans are unable to make ends meet, which often results in students having little to no access to the internet at home.
Many companies offer subsidized internet, such as those companies listed here:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3048574/is-subsidized-internet-for-the-poor-fina.... In Montana, the main provider is Charter Communications, and I was unable to verify if Charter has LifeLine government subsidies through the FCC. Some of the smaller companies in Montana do provide income-based internet options, but the speeds of many of those companies are not adequate.
Without adequate internet service, many families struggle to advance their educations. Subsidized internet within a competitive market does help students further their education and end the cycle of poverty (
http://www.fastcompany.com/3048574/is-subsidized-internet-for-the-poor-fina...). Montana needs a competitive ISP market, along with multiple providers that use the FCC's LifeLine program, in order to bridge the digital divide.