As classrooms, workplaces, and social activities migrated online during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the digital divide—the gap between those who have access to broadband (i.e., high-speed internet) and those who do not—highlighted the importance of broadband availability. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Fourteenth Broadband Deployment Report released in January 2021 estimates that 14.5 million Americans lack access to broadband—which the FCC defines as a connection that provides speeds of at least 25/3 megabits per second (Mbps). Since March 2020, Congress has provided $78 billion to address the digital divide and broadband availability.
Source: Bridging the Digital Divide: Broadband Workforce Considerations for the 117th Congress
