Letter to the President - Wittman Sends Letter to President Advocating for Expanded Access to Broadband

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

Today, people and businesses are being left on the sidelines as more than 34 million Americans struggle to gain access to high speed internet services. As you work with Congress to address our nation's infrastructure needs, I urge you to strongly consider including policies that will help promote broadband investments and bridge the digital divide between urban and rural America. Expanding access and increasing speeds of broadband for the unserved and underserved regions of this great country could help spur immense economic growth and bring greater prosperity to rural areas.

The internet has forever altered how we live our lives and how businesses operate. Today, Americans rely upon the internet to carry out everyday tasks; whether balancing their checkbooks through online banking platforms or sending emails, access to broadband services has become essential. It is estimated that for every percentage point increase in broadband investment, 300,000 new jobs are created. Including broadband investments in a larger infrastructure proposal will drive growth in every pocket of the country which means more jobs and higher wages for Americans.

As part of my own efforts to expand broadband access and increase speeds in the Commonwealth of Virginia, I recently hosted Chairman Ajit Pai for a broadband taskforce summit in my district with federal, state, and local industry stakeholders. Among the issues discussed were eliminating the labyrinth of red tape and regulations, defining prescriptive easements, establishing "dig once" policies, and strengthening public-private partnerships. Instituting any of these policies, particularly eliminating regulatory barriers and leveraging private dollars with state and federal revenues, will be central to future broadband investments.

High speed internet access, or broadband, is critical to economic growth, job creation, education, and healthcare. Therefore, improving access to broadband is imperative to any infrastructure proposal and that is why it must be a priority as Congress and your administration move forward in addressing infrastructure needs. By giving millions more Americans access to broadband, the United States has the opportunity to claim an even bigger role in the global economy.

I want to thank you for your leadership on this issue and look forward to working with you to expand broadband access to the unserved and underserved regions of Virginia and America.

Sincerely,

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