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THE CHALLENGE

Close the Broadband Affordability Gap

Yellow Connectivity Map

TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICA’S DIGITAL DIVIDE

Affordability
Keeps 17 Million Households Offline

17 million unconnected households (47 million people) have access to Internet service but cannot afford to connect. In 43 states, this ‘broadband affordability gap’ is the largest portion of the digital divide, and makes up 58% of the unconnected households in states with rural populations that exceed the national average. It disproportionately impacts low-income, Black, and Latinx Americans and those with less than a high school education.

Two-Thirds Can't Afford an Available Connection

0%

OF THE 28M UNCONNECTED U.S. HOUSEHOLDS

17M

Unconnected households have access to Internet service but cannot afford to connect.

47M

People with available broadband infrastructure that cannot afford to connect.

The Broadband Affordability Gap

Concentrated in America's
Most Unconnected Communities

Where 25% or more of the households lack home broadband. These areas represent only 30% of the U.S. population. but 67% of the
17 million homes that have access to the Internet but cannot afford to connect.

Concentrated in our poorest
communities

% Households

Unconnected Communities
0%
National<br>Average
0%

Below 200% Poverty Threshold

Disproportionately impacts
Black and Latinx communities

% Population

Unconnected Communities
0%

Black

National<br>Average
0%

Black

Unconnected Communities
0%

LatinX

National<br>Average
0%

LatinX

Black

LatinX

A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY

Federal Funding

The federal government has recognized the need to address the affordability gap by investing $65 billion to close the digital divide. 

Partnerships between non-profits, community-based organizations, Internet Service Providers, and state and local governments have developed game-changing approaches to identifying unconnected households, innovative solutions to increasing adoption, and the creation of programs that eliminate the need for households to sign-up for broadband service altogether, providing a blueprint for a broad public-private partnership to close the broadband affordability gap.

Federal Broadband Funding

$65B

In 2019, the Lifeline program participation rate was 24%. In October 2021, Lifeline and Emergency Broadband Benefit participation rate was 17%-25%.

Pre Pandemic
0%
Current<br>As few as
0%

Lifeline & Emergency Broadband Benefit Participation Rate

THE BROADBAND AFFORDABILITY GAP

Previous Efforts to Close the Gap Have Fallen Short

Despite the pandemic, there has been little change in the adoption of federal broadband affordability programs. As few as 17% of Americans eligible for federal broadband affordability programs have enrolled due to awareness, trust, and enrollment barriers.

WE MUST SEIZE THIS MOMENT

Strategies for Success

Congress has made the resources available to close the affordability gap, and ISPs continue to increase the availability and speed of affordable broadband plans. We must now remove the barriers that keep low-income families from connecting or risk wasting this opportunity to leave No Home Left Offline.

Data Icon

Support State and Local Governments

Supporting state and local governments in designing their broadband plans for implementation of the infrastructure bill.

House with Wi-Fi Icon

ACP Awareness and Enrollment Support

Raise awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and make it easy for unconnected households to enroll.

Report Icon

Free Wi-Fi to Low-Income Apartment Buildings

Deploy free Wi-Fi to eliminate the need for low-income households to sign-up for broadband service altogether.

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Help Us Close the Broadband Affordability Gap.

Senior struggling to use laptop