NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new study shows that internet companies may be discriminating against low-income and non-white neighborhoods.
"The Markup" -- a non-profit news outlet -- looked at several internet companies and their offers in cities across the country and found several were offering slower internet in minority communities for the same price or at higher prices than mostly white and affluent neighborhoods.
In some cities, the difference is found just between two homes less than half a mile away from each other.
The Markup looked at 800,000 internet offers from AT&T, Verizon, Earthlink and CenturyLink in 38 cities, including Nashville.
All four companies consistently offered faster internet speeds in some neighborhoods for the same price as slower speeds in others.
90 percent of those neighborhoods with the worse deals had a lower median income.
In Nashville, AT&T was looked at, and the Markup also found that disparity to hold true.
AT&T said in a statement to the Markup the analysis is "fundamentally flawed" because it ignored the company's participation in a government program that helps low-income families pay for internet access.
