Brookings
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/brookings%20logo_7.png?itok=o8yMU723)
Digitalization and digital skills gaps in Africa: An empirical profile
Digital technologies launched, in many ways, by the microelectronics revolution and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advances which ensued in the 1970s—have had a profound impact on economies around the world. increased digitalization has resulted in shifts in the nature and functionality of labor markets on both the demand and supply sides.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/brookings%20logo_6.png?itok=FYZvMkRR)
Maximizing new federal investments in broadband for rural America
Congress appropriated $65 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to close the digital divide and ensure universal access to reliable, high-speed, and affordable broadband across the US. The cornerstone—$42.45 billion—rests with the implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which entrusts execution and deployment of the resources to state governments. To maximize the opportunity that BEAD presents and to close the digital divide once and for all, we recommend the following 11 points:
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/brookings%20logo_5.png?itok=TwFDxmZS)
Workforce development is a crucial part of digital equity
As the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) prepares to release the first tranche of state allocations of broadband funds in 2023, one of the statutory requirements mandates workforce development as an important program outcome, especially in the rebuilding and expanding of national infrastructure. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has also implemented a number of requirements that, according to its Workforce Pl
The incredible shrinking infrastructure workforce — and what to do about it (Brookings)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Fri, 05/12/2023 - 11:01TikTok shows why social media companies need more regulation (Brookings)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Fri, 05/12/2023 - 11:01![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/brookings%20logo_4.png?itok=MC6mro1E)
Are the FTC’s tools strong enough for digital challenges?
In a period of only nine days—April 25 to May 3, 2023—the the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced initiatives to look at unfair and deceptive acts involving AI and proposed banning Meta Platforms from targeting young users. These come on top of two years of antitrust aggressiveness and consumer protection assertiveness. But both actions beg the question, “Are the tools strong enough for the task?” Both the AI and Meta activities are indications of the limitations that FTC Chair Lina Khan and the agency face as a result of being tied to industrial-era statutes and procedures.