U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) recently called poor rural broadband internet access in the United States inexcusable.
“It is unacceptable that in 21st Century America, millions of people lack access to reliable and affordable broadband internet. Of the 24 million U.S. households that do not have access to broadband internet, 80 percent are located in rural areas,” Rep. Marino said in an April 9 statement outlining his efforts to improve the situation.
The congressman represents Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, which is more than 95 percent rural, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“This disparity of internet access between urban and rural areas translates to tremendously negative impacts on local economies,” said Rep. Marino.
And because widespread broadband deployment hasn’t reached the majority of the nation’s rural residents, they don’t have the same opportunities as their suburban and urban counterparts “to participate in today’s e-commerce marketplace, obtain advanced online education and use new technologies that require stable high-speed connections,” Marino said.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, H.R. 1625, which became law last month and funds the federal government through Sept. 30, includes $600 million in funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program, which Rep. Marino said leverages almost $1 billion in new rural broadband projects when combined with state and local resources.
“I am proud to say that I have fought for my constituents in rural Pennsylvania to bridge the digital divide between big cities and small-town America,” said Rep. Marino, referring to his support of the omnibus spending package.
The RUS program aims to connect rural communities to the global economy and supports the development of “affordable, reliable, advanced telecommunication services comparable to those available throughout the rest of the United States,” according to USDA.
Moving forward, the congressman said President Donald Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budget calls for a $50 billion investment in rural infrastructure, including rural broadband deployment.
“I will continue to take action to ensure that Congress implements the president’s rural infrastructure plans, and I look forward to bringing greater economic opportunities to rural America through expanded access to broadband,” the congressman said.