Press Release
Vice President's Announcement of Broadband for Rural Areas Will Help America Compete
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration’s announcement today of $182 million in grants for rural broadband projects was welcomed by the public interest group Free Press.
Ben Scott, Free Press policy director, issued the following statement:
"Vice President Biden’s announcement is a welcome holiday gift for the thousands of Americans living in these areas that have yet to know the transformative benefits of broadband technology.
"This kind of investment will bring high-speed Internet access to rural areas. It is targeted to build broadband infrastructure between towns, benefiting more than a single community or network. It promises to improve technology and business for all of the telephone, cable and wireless companies in the area, and will allow small businesses in these communities to compete in today’s global marketplace and improve access to the Internet for rural consumers.
"Smart, targeted investments in fiber-optic infrastructure will help move the needle of national broadband deployment and keep our eyes focused on the goal of a world-class information infrastructure available to all Americans. We are especially pleased to see the Commerce Department's emphasis on middle-mile grants -- an often overlooked piece of the broadband puzzle that is essential to ensuring that consumers in these areas have access to affordable broadband services that can scale as demand grows. We are also heartened to see funding for computer and communications capacity for libraries, as these community institutions are the only option for many Americans who would otherwise have no Internet access. We commend the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration for its part in assuring that the badly needed federal dollars are wisely spent."
Ben Scott, Free Press policy director, issued the following statement:
"Vice President Biden’s announcement is a welcome holiday gift for the thousands of Americans living in these areas that have yet to know the transformative benefits of broadband technology.
"This kind of investment will bring high-speed Internet access to rural areas. It is targeted to build broadband infrastructure between towns, benefiting more than a single community or network. It promises to improve technology and business for all of the telephone, cable and wireless companies in the area, and will allow small businesses in these communities to compete in today’s global marketplace and improve access to the Internet for rural consumers.
"Smart, targeted investments in fiber-optic infrastructure will help move the needle of national broadband deployment and keep our eyes focused on the goal of a world-class information infrastructure available to all Americans. We are especially pleased to see the Commerce Department's emphasis on middle-mile grants -- an often overlooked piece of the broadband puzzle that is essential to ensuring that consumers in these areas have access to affordable broadband services that can scale as demand grows. We are also heartened to see funding for computer and communications capacity for libraries, as these community institutions are the only option for many Americans who would otherwise have no Internet access. We commend the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration for its part in assuring that the badly needed federal dollars are wisely spent."
