Broadband Access Issue Brief: National Ass of State Directors of Adult Education

Why care?

The COVID pandemic has illuminated the deep inequities of the existing digital divide and digital inclusion gaps in America. We now know that this is not a problem at the margins of our society, impacting only rural or deeply impoverished urban communities, but rather a challenge affecting a great number of individuals and families in all of our communities. We see more clearly that high-speed broadband is the infrastructure that connects people to education, training, employment, small businesses and entrepreneurs, municipal services, e-commerce, and health care. Without reliable, affordable access to broadband Internet, personal devices, and the digital literacy with which to use them, too many individuals and families are unable to participate fully in opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge.