[20220518]IF12111_弥合数字鸿沟：第117届大会对宽带劳动力的考虑.pdf

https:/crsreports.congress.gov May 18, 2022Bridging the Digital Divide: Broadband Workforce Considerations for the 117th CongressAs classrooms, workplaces, and social activities migrated online during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the digital dividethe gap between those who have access to broadband (i.e., high-speed internet) and those who do nothighlighted the importance of broadband availability. The Federal Communications Commissions (FCCs) Fourteenth Broadband Deployment Report released in January 2021 estimates that 14.5 million Americans lack access to broadbandwhich 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. More specifically, Congress passed: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136) which provides $100 million for broadband programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021; P.L. 116-260) which provides $6.2 billion for broadband programs at the FCC, National Telecommunications and Information Ad