House Rural Broadband Caucus co-chair condemns lack of broadband funding

President Trump’s newly released infrastructure plan doesn’t include dedicated funding for broadband deployment. This is a serious problem for the 24 million Americans – and the more than 66 percent of Americans living in rural and Tribal lands – who still lack broadband access. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), co-chair of the House Rural Broadband Caucus, condemned this serious infrastructure omission in a statement.

“I am deeply disappointed that the president failed to include dedicated broadband funding in his infrastructure proposal,” Rep. Welch said. “This glaring omission is a betrayal of the rural voters that supported him in his election, and a missed opportunity to close the digital divide that separates rural and urban America. A robust rural broadband network is essential to attract businesses, provide access to healthcare through telemedicine, help farmers become more efficient, and close the homework gap that hamstrings rural students.”

Welch and his colleagues on the bipartisan House Rural Broadband Caucus had previously urged President Trump to include dedicated broadband funding in his infrastructure proposal. “We write today to reiterate our support for the proposal to include funding specifically for rural broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas,” the lawmakers wrote. “Rural communities must have adequate broadband infrastructure to attract and retain businesses and human resources, close the homework gap for students and teachers, open innovative and convenient pathways to telemedicine for seniors and providers, and help farmers increase efficiencies in their barns and on their land. The future wellbeing of our communities is dependent upon this technology.”

Links:

Welch Condemns Lack of Dedicated Broadband Funding in President's Infrastructure Plan (US House of Representatives, Feb. 12, 2018)

House Rural Broadband Caucus to President: Include Dedicated Broadband Funding in Infrastructure Proposal (US House of Representatives, Jan. 23, 2018)