Joyce, Rice join 70 lawmakers to request rural broadband inclusion in Biden’s infrastructure plan

U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Tom Rice (R-SC) joined a bipartisan contingent of 70 lawmakers in calling on President Joe Biden to include rural broadband in his forthcoming infrastructure proposal.

“Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, broadband access is more essential than ever. Students, workers, businesses, and families are relying on broadband infrastructure to keep them connected. The pandemic has highlighted the digital divide that far too many in our communities have struggled with for decades,” Rep. Rice said in a separate statement. “Broadband access is an invaluable resource.”

As the president develops his infrastructure proposal to present to Congress later this year, the lawmakers urged him in a Feb. 8 letter 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,” wrote the members, who noted that many Americans across their districts lack sufficient broadband infrastructure to take advantage of such technology.

“The digital divide between rural and urban America is significant,” according to their letter. “Nowhere is this starker than the number of students who are unable to access remote schooling because their homes or communities lack broadband connectivity.”

For instance, according to Rep. Joyce, more than 300,000 households in his home state of Ohio lack access to high-speed internet.

And the lawmakers pointed out that rural communities and tribal areas cannot attract and retain businesses and human resources if they are insufficiently connected. 

“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,” Rep. Joyce, Rep. Rice, and their colleagues wrote.