“Smartphones For All” is Smart Policy
A new brief from the Brookings Institution argues that policymakers should work to make smartphones more widely available, particularly to low-income people, because they provide a platform for a “nearly endless quantity of services.” Smartphones Can Deliver Vital Public Services notes that for households that cannot afford a home computer or reliable internet, smartphones may be the only way to get online to apply for jobs, complete schoolwork, and stay on top of bills and medical appointments. The authors argue that ensuring widespread access to smartphones would help local and state governments lower the cost of healthcare, public transportation, and broadband access.