Weeks before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) presents before Congress an all-inclusive proposal to make broadband affordable and ubiquitous, a survey by the agency has revealed the glaring `digital divide' within the country; noting that as many as 93 million Americans - 80 million adults and 13 million children - lack broadband access at home.

The Tuesday-released survey, titled `Broadband Adoption and Use in America,' was conducted with the aim of helping the agency comprehend the reason behind the slow broadband adoption; and the efforts it needs to undertake to reach broadband to millions of `deprived' Americans.

The survey's finding that broadband has not reached almost one-third of the US homes further highlights what the FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski calls "an opportunity divide" across the US, which is especially hurting small businesses.

The FCC survey found that for most of the people who lack broadband at home the key constraint is `cost' - they feel that the average monthly broadband fee of nearly $41 is too high. In addition, more than one-fifth of the FCC survey respondents said they lack technology skills; and almost the same number said that the Internet was a sheer waste of time.

Nonetheless, the FCC opines that broadband still needs to be made affordable as well as accessible all across the country - more so as it transform every home into a potential workplace for an employee or start-up entrepreneur.