Broadband accessibility should not be a privilege its a necessity

We have a historic opportunity to close the digital divide and bring broadband to every home and small business in America. The bipartisan infrastructure framework that President Biden accounted, calls for $65 million in spending for broadband. It’s clear that across the political spectrum, there is broad consensus that we need to bring every American online once and for all.

Choosing the right policies to bring everyone online means understanding the problem. Even though the vast majority of Americans have access to broadband internet that consistently ranks among the best in the world, 25 percent of rural communities lack access to broadband infrastructure. That means they can’t get online even if they want to, simply because of where they live. I serve on the SUSD bond advisory committee and we have seen what many students in our district have had to deal with firsthand as they do not have access to reliable and many times any broadband connections. Students should not fall behind on school because they are poor.

It’s time to fix this. When the pandemic hit and the country moved to remote everything, it was unfortunately rural and poor communities or color without broadband who were left behind. The federal government needs to prioritize connecting the truly unserved communities in America. With the political will to finally fix a problem that’s been plaguing rural and poor America for too long, we can get this done as long as our policy makers step up. We should all be asking our leaders in Congress to make this a priority. I hope you will agree and ensure that broadband funding goes to bringing those most in need – those without any broadband access – online quickly. Do your part and reach out to your elected we cannot afford to wait for congress to act alone.