Title 47 — Telegraphs, Telephones, and RadiotelegraphsRelease 119-73

§1722 Sense of Congress

Title 47 › Chapter CHAPTER 16— - BROADBAND ACCESS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - DIGITAL EQUITY ACT OF 2021 › § 1722

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress says a reliable internet connection and basic digital skills are essential for people to take part in American life. They help people work, learn, get health care and essential services, and join civic and community life. Not having them causes serious social and economic harm, hurts people’s chances to succeed, and widens income and wealth gaps for affected groups. Congress also says fixing this will take more and steady investment and research. Federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments have responsibilities about how people access and use the internet. Making access fair is a matter of social and economic justice and should be pursued.

Full Legal Text

Title 47, §1722

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)a broadband connection and digital literacy are increasingly critical to how individuals—

(A)participate in the society, economy, and civic institutions of the United States; and

(B)access health care and essential services, obtain education, and build careers;

(2)digital exclusion—

(A)carries a high societal and economic cost;

(B)materially harms the opportunity of an individual with respect to the economic success, educational achievement, positive health outcomes, social inclusion, and civic engagement of that individual; and

(C)exacerbates existing wealth and income gaps, especially those experienced by covered populations;

(3)achieving digital equity for all people of the United States requires additional and sustained investment and research efforts;

(4)the Federal Government, as well as State, tribal, territorial, and local governments, have made social, legal, and economic obligations that necessarily extend to how the citizens and residents of those governments access and use the internet; and

(5)achieving digital equity is a matter of social and economic justice and is worth pursuing.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

47 U.S.C. § 1722

Title 47 — Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73