[20200313]IN11239_2019冠状病毒疾病和宽带：数字鸿沟的潜在影响 .pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i COVID-19 and Broadband: Potential Implications for the Digital Divide Colby Leigh Rachfal Analyst in Telecommunications Policy March 13, 2020 According to the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) 2019 Broadband Deployment Report, approximately 21.3 million Americans lack a broadband connection speed of at least 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download/3 Mbps upload, which is the FCCs benchmark for high-speed broadband. In the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, federal, local, and state governments, in addition to large and small businesses, are considering remote working or distance learning options to help abate the spread of the virus. As these decisions are made, some portion of the population will likely have the option and the capability to shift activities online, while others will not. COVID-19 mitigation efforts will likely reveal discrepancies in broadband availability and accessibilitytermed the digital divideacross the United States. The Digital Divide The term digital divide refers to the gap between those Americans who use or have access to telecommunications and information tech