WASHINGTON, D.C.—This week, Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04) joined the Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers focused on ensuring all Americans have access to quality, affordable broadband services.
Rep. Feenstra’s first act was to sign a bipartisan letter urging President Biden to prioritize investments in broadband infrastructure. As the letter states, “In the 21st Century, high-speed broadband is no longer a luxury amenity, but rather an essential service for homes and businesses in this interconnected world.”
“I’m excited to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to expand high-speed broadband access to rural Americans,” said Rep. Feenstra. “From precision farming to virtual working and learning, it has become imperative that every Iowan has access to quality, affordable internet services. Investing in broadband infrastructure would be a step in the right direction as we work to close the digital divide.”
Read the full letter below:
We share your commitment to making investments in our nation’s infrastructure that create good jobs, boost economic productivity and enable new work and education requirements during the global pandemic.
As you develop your infrastructure proposal to present to Congress, we write to urge you to include investments that will bring the benefits of broadband connectivity to unserved rural America and tribal areas. In the 21st Century, high-speed broadband is no longer a luxury amenity, but rather an essential service for homes and businesses in this interconnected world. No other technology has produced as much innovation, competition, and economic growth.
Unfortunately, many Americans in our districts lack sufficient broadband infrastructure to take advantage of this explosion of technology and economic possibility. The digital divide between rural and urban America is significant. Nowhere is this starker than the number of students who are unable to access remote schooling because their homes or communities lack broadband connectivity.
Rural communities and tribal areas cannot attract and retain businesses and human resources if they are insufficiently connected. Broadband allows rural Americans to communicate with friends and families and access entertainment. It provides businesses access to global customers to expand economic opportunity. High-speed broadband facilitates agricultural efficiency for farmers, supplies students and teachers with unlimited access to educational materials, and allows for doctors’ visits at home.
We look forward to working with you and your administration to advance an infrastructure package that bridges the digital divide across our country by ensuring broadband is deployed quickly and aggressively.
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