This opinion column was hosted by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada).
Our communities are successful when they have access to the tools and opportunities they need to grow clearly and easily. Affordable and reliable high-speed Internet is no longer a luxury; it’s a vital tool for Nevadans to communicate, do business, learn, and improve their health and quality of life in ways we never thought possible just a few decades ago.
But that has been out of reach for so many across our state. For too many Nevadans, high-speed Internet is unaffordable or completely inaccessible due to where they live. This digital divide is so significant that many Nevadans lack the resources they need to use even the most basic Internet services.
When I visit rural communities in Nevada, I too often hear how the lack of high-speed Internet hurts their families’ ability to see a doctor, go to school, or even do their job. During the pandemic, we’ve all heard the stories of schoolchildren being forced to do homework in fast food parking lots to use Wi-Fi and complete assignments online because they couldn’t access it from home.
In the 21st century, this shouldn’t be happening anywhere, especially not in Nevada.
The digital divide is hampering the citizens of Nevada and things need to change. That’s why addressing this issue was a top priority of mine when I helped write bipartisan infrastructure law. As one of the authors, I helped shape these investments coming to Nevada. And now, just over a year after he signed it, federal funds are pouring into our state to bridge the digital divide.
Just last month, Nevada received more than $416 million to expand high-speed Internet access throughout our state. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Laws Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, which I helped create. This money will help provide Internet access to potentially hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses and locations in Nevada.
Until recently, the Federal Communications Commission relied on an imprecise map to pinpoint areas in need of these investments. Use of this flawed map would have resulted in Nevada losing significant federal funding. I couldn’t let it be, so I took action. From sending letters to questioning administration officials during Senate hearings to introducing bipartisan legislation, I have repeatedly pushed the Biden administration to correct this map. I am proud to announce that thanks to these efforts the map has been updated. The new map found tens of thousands of places that otherwise might not have been included, leading to a massive increase in funding and securing Nevada its fair share.
Not only that, but Nevada also recently received more than $43 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Laws Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, a program I created myself. This new investment will facilitate and enhance high-speed Internet access in more than 21,000 locations across our state.
Through these historic investments, we are making strides in every community to ensure no one is left behind as we work to connect every Nevada citizen to high-speed internet. In fact, we’ve also secured tens of millions of dollars for Nevada’s tribal communities as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Laws Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
While there is certainly much work to be done to bring high-speed Internet to every corner of Nevada, our progress cannot be underestimated. With this funding and the broadband infrastructure it will build, more Nevada households will have access to the Internet.
As long as I’m in the US Senate, I promise to continue working across the aisle and with our state officials to make these broadband projects a reality.
Senator Jacky Rosen (D) represents Nevada in the United States Senate.
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