Closing the Digital Divide: How Rural Broadband Benefits Communities and the Climate

This policy brief examines the 'digital divide' in the United States, specifically the lack of high-speed internet access in rural and tribal communities. It details the socioeconomic and educational impacts of this divide, the role of broadband in enabling energy-efficiency technologies and precision agriculture, and the various federal, municipal, and cooperative initiatives aimed at expanding access.

• A significant portion of the U.S. population lacks broadband access, with rural and tribal areas disproportionately affected. While the FCC reported that over 14 million Americans lacked the 25/3 Mbps standard in 2019, other estimates suggest as many as 42 million may lack access due to mapping inaccuracies.
• Broadband expansion is linked to significant energy efficiency gains and climate benefits. The U.S. could reduce energy use by 12–22 percent by utilizing internet-connected efficiency upgrades. High-speed internet enables smart home devices, smart grids for better utility load management, and the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) into the grid to balance energy loads.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2021). Closing the Digital Divide: How Rural Broadband Benefits Communities and the Climate. https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Broadband_Benefits_2021.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Closing the Digital Divide: How Rural Broadband Benefits Communities and the Climate. 2021. https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Broadband_Benefits_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Closing the Digital Divide: How Rural Broadband Benefits Communities and the Climate |date=October 2021 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Broadband_Benefits_2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2021closing, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Closing the Digital Divide: How Rural Broadband Benefits Communities and the Climate}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Broadband_Benefits_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }