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Title 47 — Telecommunications

Chapter 16 — Broadband Access

§ 1701. Findings

Statutory text

Congress finds the following:

(1)

Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States.

(2)

The persistent “digital divide” in the United States is a barrier to the economic competitiveness of the United States and equitable distribution of essential public services, including health care and education.

(3)

The digital divide disproportionately affects communities of color, lower-income areas, and rural areas, and the benefits of broadband should be broadly enjoyed by all.

(4)

In many communities across the country, increased competition among broadband providers has the potential to offer consumers more affordable, high-quality options for broadband service.

(5)

The 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic has underscored the critical importance of affordable, high-speed broadband for individuals, families, and communities to be able to work, learn, and connect remotely while supporting social distancing.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

    Pub. L. 117–58 div. F title I § 60101 · 135 Stat. 429

    Enacted · 47 U.S.C. § 1701

    (Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title I, § 60101, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1182.)

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    (Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title I, § 60101, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1182.)

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    SEC. 60101. FINDINGS.   Congress finds the following: (1) Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States. (2) The persistent “digital divide” in the United States is a barrier to the economic competitiveness of the United States and equitable distribution of essential public services, including health care and education. (3) The digital divide disproportionately affects communities of color, lower-income areas, and rural areas, and the benefits of broadband should be broadly enjoyed by all. (4) In many communities across the country, increased competition among broadband providers has the potential to offer consumers more affordable, high-quality options for broadband service. (5) The 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic has underscored the critical importance of affordable, high-speed broadband for individuals, families, and communities to be able to work, learn, and connect remotely while supporting social distancing.

1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title III, § 60301, , 135 Stat. 1209, provided that: “This title [enacting subchapter II of this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Digital Equity Act of 2021’.”

Credits

(Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title I, § 60101, , 135 Stat. 1182.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc47.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-09-09

USLM identifier /us/usc/t47/s1701