Recognizing the importance of broadband in rural areas throughout the United States and the critical need to invest in broadband expansion in an increasingly connected and digitally dependent world.

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic led to an increase in remote work and digital communication among all Americans, more so than ever before; Whereas, as a result of the COVID–19 pandemic, many businesses, schools, government agencies, and organizations devised remote work strategies and invested in digital alternatives to replace in-person, paper-based methods of doing business; Whereas, since the COVID–19 pandemic has brought challenges to rural community businesses struggling to stay afloat, children accessing virtual school from remote and other digitally underserved locations, and individuals seeking to access health care as rural hospitals have closed, broadband remains critically essential to rural communities; Whereas technology is transforming the agriculture industry and changing the way farms operate, and such advances are largely dependent on maintaining strong internet connectivity in rural communities; Whereas innovation on farms and in other rural settings is severely hampered if these locations lack access to robust broadband; Whereas broadband disparities continue to exist between rural and urban communities, despite the growth and normality that remote work and digital communication have achieved in the past two years; Whereas consistent internet connectivity is essential for farmers, and a gap currently persists among rural and urban communities with respect to delivering high-speed and reliable broadband to all Americans; Whereas high-quality internet access is essential for Americans to work, learn, and communicate with one another, and it is therefore important that broadband access in underserved communities be improved and maintained; Whereas approximately 60 percent of broadband capacity is used by large providers of content streaming services, and rural broadband providers have difficulty in raising prices to cover the costs associated with this ever-growing demand; and Whereas one of the most vital needs of our country is modern and durable infrastructure, which includes strong and robust broadband: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives finds that— (1) the Nation’s broadband infrastructure is in critical need of improvement, particularly as it affects Americans located in rural communities who continue to struggle to stay connected in an increasingly connected and digitally dependent world; (2) in order to expand rural broadband assistance and to improve the administration and accountability of the broadband programs in rural communities, the Department of Agriculture should utilize its expertise, experience, and reach to bring these investments to rural America quickly and responsibly; (3) the Federal Communications Commission should study the current and projected demands on rural broadband networks associated with services offered by large providers of content streaming services; and (4) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy should establish a broadband research and development working group to address national research challenges and opportunities for improving broadband access and adoption across the United States.

Summary: This resolution addresses the need for improvements to broadband infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, and the role of specified federal agencies in making such improvements.