Expanding Broadband Access: Understanding How the Affordable Connectivity Program Can Help
From industry to education to leisure time, the internet has become the backbone of our society. The Washington, D.C.-based think tank Brookings Institution classifies broadband access as essential infrastructure, saying its influence affects “a wide range of conditions that impact health and life outcomes, known as social determinants of health.”1 In addition, broadband access is an engine for not only economic growth but also educational opportunities. Having access to high-speed broadband helps people attain economic stability, improve health outcomes, and participate more fully in society. But broadband isn’t as ubiquitous as it would seem to be. A digital divide—the gap between those who have broadband access and those who do not—exists, keeping many Americans from enjoying better economic, educational, health, and other benefits.