Rural Digital Divide Complicates Virtual Court Participation

Rural residents can have trouble accessing remote court proceedings that proved their value during the Covid-19 pandemic, so advocates are looking to mobile “Justice Buses,” technology kiosks and Starlink satellites to help bridge the digital divide.

Virtual proceedings are appealing for those who need to travel great distances for court appearances. The problem is they sometimes lack reliable broadband internet access, forcing courts to get creative or rely on conference calls as the second-best option, said judges, attorneys, court administrators, and scholars in 20 interviews with Bloomberg Law.

“We have a great opportunity. How often is it that you get ...