 has become even more apparent since the beginning of the COVID pandemic as we've seen a wide range of services and opportunities move online, including online schooling and virtual meetings. And we increasingly become a digital first nation that has to ensure that everyone has the same ability to access and use the internet to participate in society. So for too long, the term digital divide has been used to characterize the differences in quality and speed of internet networks in rural areas compared to those in urban areas. And there's no doubt that government must up in and invest where the marketplace doesn't support the business case for private broadband investment in any community in our nation. And that's just the start. Studies have shown that within all sorts of different communities, broadband services isn't always available or of equal quality. Certain communities somehow always find themselves at the back of the line when it comes to upgrades to their networks. And it's also disappointing that there's a digital divide between races and ethnicities when it comes to broadband access. While 80% of white households have broadband access, that's true of only 70% of black households and 65% of Hispanic households. There was a Deutsche Bank study that found that black and Hispanic Americans are 10 years behind white Americans in terms of broadband access, severely hampering their long-term employment and earning prospects. And it doesn't end there. Lack of access to home broadband also harms scores and schools and dims the employment prospects of students. So we're here to discuss how best to address these inequities. And it's not as simple as ensuring that broadband networks are built to these communities. It's not just build out. That's a critical first step, but affordability is a major barrier to broadband adoption for low-income communities. In fact, some studies have estimated that of the households that do not have broadband, three times as many of them are located in urban areas than in rural areas. So having a network that runs right to your doorstep doesn't mean that these families can pay the monthly cost of the service. So we came together, Democrats and Republicans in December to pass the emergency broadband benefit, which will provide struggling families a discount of $50 off the monthly cost of their home internet service. That's discount for, is 75 a month for tribal lands. And the FCC is set to roll out the benefit next week. So I hope we can all work together to make that program a success. But again, affordability is gonna continue to be a problem for some families even after that program ends because they may have the build out, they may hook up and they may be able to afford the bill, but they don't know how to use the internet. So they have to be trained. So we have to ensure that all Americans have the skills necessary for themselves and their families for the jobs of tomorrow. So these are all tough problems, but they're problems that we can solve ensuring that all Americans can be part of the digital economy will make our nation stronger, more economically competitive, and will help us continue to lead the digital revolution. And I look forward to hearing from the witnesses as Chairman Doyle said about solutions, how we get there and look forward to both sides of the aisle working on legislation to make this happen. So I think I have about a minute and a half left. I can't yield it back, Mr. Chairman. I have to, I want to yield it to Mr. McNeary. Thank you.