Capito pushes to expand broadband infrastructure to grow economy

Internet access is needed in rural areas to diversify and grow local economies, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) wrote this week in a letter to President-elect Donald Trump.

As many as 74 percent of West Virginia residents lack access to broadband that meets Federal Communications Commission benchmarks, and Capito has made expanding broadband internet access and improving infrastructure a priority.

“West Virginia needs to grow and diversify its overall economy, and internet access is fundamental to that transition,” Capito wrote.

“Broadband can revolutionize rural communities by linking them to the national, and even global, economy. I look forward to working with (the Trump) administration to advance policies that bridge the digital divide across the country and provide the broadband infrastructure that our nation’s urban and rural communities need to succeed.”

High-speed internet access has become a platform for innovation, competition and economic growth.

Capito wrote that pursuing policies that generate broadband expansion and access can and should play a key role in strengthening the nation’s infrastructure.

“These policies include: reducing barriers to investment in infrastructure, streamlining the regulatory environment for wireless providers, encouraging public-private partnerships and ensuring accountability on behalf of the taxpayer for federally funded projects,” she said.