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broadband has become even more critical for people across the country to carry out their daily <br />lives. <br />However, even in areas where broadband infrastructure exists, broadband access may be <br />out of reach for millions of Americans because it is unaffordable, as the United States has some <br />of the highest broadband prices in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and <br />Development (OECD).120 According to a 2021 Pew Research Center study, 20 percent of non - <br />broadband users say that the monthly cost of home broadband is the primary reason they do not <br />have broadband at home, and 40 percent say that cost is one reason for their lack of home <br />broadband.121 Further, according to another survey, 22 percent of parents with homebound <br />schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic say that it is very or somewhat likely that their <br />children will have to rely on public wi-fi to finish their schoolwork because there is no reliable <br />internet connection at home; this percentage nearly doubles for lower -income parents, 40 percent <br />of whom noted that their children will have to rely on public wi-fi.122 The same survey showed <br />that 36 percent of lower -income parents with homebound children say their child will not be able <br />to complete their schoolwork because they do not have access to a computer at home.123 <br />Public Comment: Many commenters highlighted the importance of broadband access <br />during the pandemic, including for remote work and education, and argued that affordability <br />presents a major barrier to broadband adoption by households; in other words, many households <br />live in areas that have broadband infrastructure and service available but are unable to purchase <br />12o BroadbandSearch Blog Post, How Do U.S. Internet Costs Compare To The Rest Of The World?, available at <br />https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/internet-costs-compared-worldwide. <br />121 Pew Research Center, Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2021 (June 3, 2021), <br />https ://www.pewresearch. org/internet/2021 /06/03/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2021 /. <br />122 Pew Research Center, 53% of Americans Say the Internet Has Been Essential During the COVID-19 Outbreak <br />(April 30, 2020), https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/04/30/53 -of-americans-say-the-internet-has-been- <br />essential-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/. <br />123 Id. <br />87 <br />