I was in New York City recently for a few meetings and learned that the broadband gap I discussed a few weeks ago in Brooklyn also exists in Harlem.

While I was at lunch with a couple business associates we overheard a group of people complaining about their Internet service.  Thinking I could help out, I joined their discussion.

Turns out they were small business owners from Harlem that weren’t able to get high-speed Internet.  Operating a business on dial-up speeds was always a struggle for them and once the recession hit, they were at an even further disadvantage.

As you may recall from prior posts, this is a hot button issue with me.  Obviously, there is a huge digital divide in rural areas – this has gotten a lot of attention recently because of the broadband stimulus package.  In fact, Leslie Cauley from USA Today published a piece recently about the challenges a small town in Texas faces due to a lack of Internet.

But, as I’ve said before, a lot of people don’t realize there are businesses and consumers in and around urban areas – like Harlem – that can’t get high-speed Internet either.  How are small business owners in major cities, like the people I met over lunch, supposed to effectively compete if they don’t have broadband?  It’s like bowling with your hands tied behind your back.

I hope the broadband stimulus plan helps these underserved urban areas, along with the rural, to truly make the U.S. a connected nation.

I would like to hear from anyone who knows about other urban areas that lack broadband.  I will also be revisiting this issue in future posts – stay tuned!