Rural areas to receive $759 million in grants for high-speed internet
Summary
One is North Carolinas AccessOn Networks, which will receive $17.5 million to provide broadband service to 100 businesses, 76 farms and 22 educational facilities in the states Halifax and Warren counties. Landrieu, the infrastructure coordinator and former New Orleans mayor, told reporters on a Wednesday call that the Biden administration has already released $180 billion for various infrastructure projects.READ MORE: Investigation finds lower internet speeds for higher prices in poor, less white U.S. neighborhoodsThe administration is specifically targeting support for small towns and farm communities, places that generally favor Republicans over Democrats.Rural communities are the backbone of our nation, but for too long theyve been left behind and they have been underrecognized, Landrieu said. They will also hold a town hall in Elm City.Cooper attributed the broadband advances to the pandemic shutdowns that made people more reliant on the internet.It tossed us into the future by about a decade we had to make something good out of something bad, he said. He added that 1 million of the states residents have been on the wrong side of the digital divide, something the build-out will help to correct.Neither candidate in North Carolinas U.S. Senate race Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Ted Budd was slated to appear at the events.Vilsack said that past trips show how broadband connectivity is starting to make a difference. While in Nevada this summer, he heard from people in the town of Lovelock who plan to use the improved internet to enhance their emergency responder services and tourism opportunities as well as help high school students who are earning college credit online.