** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE EXPANSION OF BROADBAND AND THE DIGITALIZATION OF THE ECONOMY OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO ACCESS DISTANT RESOURCES. HOWEVER, TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THESE COMMUNITIES ARE EQUIPPED WITH DIGITAL READINESS SKILLS. OUR PROJECT AIMS TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BY PROVIDING EQUAL ACCESS TO DIGITAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. BY EMPOWERING MINORITIES AND RURAL RESIDENTS, WE AIM TO HELP THEM UTILIZE BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE A FAIR, INCLUSIVE, AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY.THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF TWO COMPONENTS: RESEARCH AND EXTENSION. THROUGH THE RESEARCH COMPONENT, WE WILL FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS THAT LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC GROWTH RELATED TO BROADBAND USE. WE WILL EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BROADBAND ACCESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND JOB GROWTH IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. THE RESEARCH WILL INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE INSTITUTIONAL, SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT AFFECT RURAL AND UNDERSERVED INDIVIDUALS' DECISION-MAKING AND ADOPTION OF E-COMMERCE AND REMOTE WORK. IT WILL ALSO EVALUATE THE OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL AND MINORITY INDIVIDUALS' E-COMMERCE AND REMOTE WORK SUCCESS NATIONALLY AND IN RURAL IDAHO. TO ACHIEVE OUR RESEARCH OBJECTIVES, WE WILL USE PRIMARY AND NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SECONDARY DATA.THE FINDINGS FROM THE RESEARCH WILL BE UTILIZED TO ENHANCE EXTENSION PROGRAMMING, WHICH AIMS TO SUPPORT RURAL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES AS WELL AS EMPLOYEES. WE WILL LEVERAGE THE UNIVERSITY'S EXTENSION CAPABILITIES TO OFFER TECHNICAL GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES TO RURAL AND MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS AND EMPLOYEES, ENABLING THEM TO ADAPT TO THE DIGITAL ECONOMY AND ATTAIN SUCCESS. ADDITIONALLY, THE EXTENSION COMPONENT WILL CONDUCT TRAINING ON E-COMMERCE AND REMOTE WORK AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO ENCOURAGE INTERNET ADOPTION AMONG HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS SUCH AS RURAL RESIDENTS, LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, INDIVIDUALS AGED 60 OR ABOVE, INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, VETERANS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, INDIVIDUALS WITH LANGUAGE BARRIERS, AND RACIAL OR ETHNIC MINORITIES. OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO REINFORCE RURAL COMMUNITIES, WHICH WILL RESULT IN GREATER DIVERSITY, STRENGTH, AND RESILIENCE, WHICH ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF US AGRICULTURE AND RURAL COMMUNITIES.