The Digital Divide Grows Wider Unless We Take Action

If the U.S. wants to lead in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, we need a connected, digitally skilled public. Building infrastructure is only half the equation—people need the tools, training and support to actually use it. The $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program is still deploying physical broadband infrastructure; without the Digital Equity Act’s companion $2.75 billion investments in digital adoption and skills, much of that infrastructure risks going underutilized. The goal was never just to build networks—it was to ensure those networks are used and accessible to all of us. The digital divide does not widen on its own. It widens when we allow it to. Congress passed this law. The funding was on its way to local communities. Demand that it be restored.