On Monday, President Biden is scheduled to sign the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, passing the largest long-term investment in infrastructure in nearly a century. The bill includes a historic investment in closing the digital divide, with $65 billion for expanding broadband Internet access as well as $2.75 billion for digital inclusion, digital literacy, and digital services.

“To borrow a phrase from President Biden, closing the digital divide is a BFD,” said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. “It’s going to mean more jobs, broadband access, and opportunity for millions of Americans who were previously shut out of the digital world.”

According to the FCC, more than 19 million Americans do not yet have access to broadband service, although outside research estimates that number could be twice as high. The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) estimates that 28 million adults in the US lack the basic digital skills they need to use a computer.

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a new center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future. We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.