Residents in Sunset, La., told Vice President Kamala Harris and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves about the stark digital divide caused by a localized lack of access to broadband and were told heard help is on the way.
Harrist said high-speed internet is a necessity, so the administration is using the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to connect all Americans to the internet, a U.S. Department of Commerce March 21 release said.
“Throughout the pandemic, people depended on high-speed internet like never before. Business owners used the internet to sell their goods. Parents used the internet to buy their groceries. Seniors used the internet to see their doctor — young people to attend virtual classes. All without ever leaving home,” Harris said. “So, for so many of us, the internet has been and continues to be essential for us to perform our everyday needs. It is an integrated part of our daily lives.”
In February, the administration announced grants worth $277 million to connect 13 communities in Louisiana, Maine, Kentucky, Washington, Georgia and Texas.
“In this community, we will invest nearly $30 million to connect more than 22,000 households to the fiber-optic network,” Harris said.
Graves said 90 percent of Americans said the internet has been essential or important to them during the pandemic. The administration knows access is not equal as more than 30 million Americans lack access to reliable broadband, he said.
“Right here in Louisiana, nearly 20 percent of households do not have an internet subscription, and more than 10 percent of people in the state live in areas where there is zero broadband infrastructure. This is an injustice, and it must end,” Graves said.
