WHEREAS, among the approximately 95 percent of American households that have access to broadband Internet services, only about 75 percent of U.S. households subscribe[1] and

WHEREAS, research shows that a “lack of interest” in broadband is one of the main reasons certain populations do not seek out broadband services[2]; and

WHEREAS, research also shows that many non-broadband households view broadband as being either irrelevant or difficult to use,[3] and nearly half of the population that does not subscribe to broadband says it does not need such a connection[4]; and

WHEREAS, Americans that do not have broadband at home are disproportionately lower-income and older than average and fewer than one-quarter of such Americans have broadband at home[5]; and

WHEREAS, American Legislative Exchange Council believes that widespread efforts to promote broadband adoption,  use, and digital literacy are critical to improving the nation’s long-term competitiveness in a global market, and to achieving certain socioeconomic improvements in the quality of American life; and

WHEREAS, expanding adoption, use and digital literacy skills will allow a greater number of Americans to fully take advantage of the benefits of broadband based applications such as tele-health, energy management and education opportunities online; shall it

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Legislative Exchange Council  calls upon all levels of governments  to work cooperatively with the private sector, nonprofits, and academia to develop and support robust  broadband awareness, adoption, and use programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all levels of government identify opportunities for public private partnerships, to leverage existing broadband adoption and use programs to increase adoption rates in their communities.

Approved by ALEC Board of Directors on August 27, 2009.

Amended by the Task Force on Communications and Technology on May 6, 2016

[1] ^[1] U.S. Census Bureau, American Fact Finder, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, available at http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_14_1YR_DP02&prodType=table (last visited Feb. 15, 2016)

[2]  U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Exploring the Digital Nation: Embracing the Mobile Internet (Oct. 2014), at p. 26, available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/exploring_the_digital_nation_embracing_the_mobile_internet_10162014.pdf

[3] Horrigan, at iii, 12.

[4] Consumer Insights to America’s Broadband Challenge at 2, Connected Nation (Oct. 13, 2008).

[5] Horrigan, at iii, 12.