Senators push for more rural broadband
The pandemic showed gaping holes in access to broadband, especially in rural Minnesota
MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Money for rural broadband is coming to Minnesota, thanks to the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund.
“What we are doing is critically important, especially for rural areas. For the same reason, that rural interpretation was important. It’s awfully expensive to wire rural communities because the houses are so far apart,” explained Sen. Angus King (I-Maine).
CPF provides $10 billion to states, territories, freely associated states and Tribal governments.
“Supporting bringing all of America, all of America into the 21st-century economy. Enabling seniors to connect with their healthcare providers via telehealth, enabling students to connect with their schools to do their homework,” King stated.
The pandemic showed gaping holes in access to broadband, especially in rural Minnesota.
“Right now, we still have 42 million Americans, including about 144,000 rural Minnesotans, without access to high-speed internet,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said.
Which is one of the main reasons that Klobuchar is heading the campaign for Minnesota.
“If they can get faster internet in Iceland, a country that has active volcanoes and spewing lava, maybe, just maybe, we can get it in rural Minnesota and this is going to be a big help.”
Klobuchar says that this is a bigger issue than a lot of people think.
“Talk about the girl in a rural area that would have to drive half an hour to do her biology quizzes every Friday during the pandemic. She had to drive to a liquor store parking lot.”
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