Expanding broadband: A must for equity
A winter scene along Wyman Lane in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
With the end of the pandemic more firmly in view, a stubborn economic and education equity issue still looms large and is gaining more of the spotlight.
Over the past year, inequities in high-speed broadband access — both geographically and economically — have been laid bare due to increased need for remote learning and telehealth services. Moreover, the path to more broadband is also a path to more jobs and sustainable, long-term economic development.
At the federal level, the new $1.9 trillion relief bill aims to help expand high-speed broadband in multiple states — Vermont has $113 million coming for infrastructure aid, including broadband.
State legislative efforts are becoming prolific in regions from New England to the South and the rural West. A broadband bill is working its way through the Vermont House of Representatives, with a focus on supporting the growth of communications union districts, like ECFiber, which has greatly improved high-speed broadband access in the east-central Vermont region.
Vermont’s governor, lieutenant governor and state lawmakers have repeatedly noted the broadband issue, the current gap and the need to address it. In a letter to state leaders last week, Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray described the broad impact.
“For the roughly 66,000 Vermont homes and businesses without access to broadband, each day of the pandemic has been a day without equity in access to online learning, remote work, tele-health, mental health and support services, government resources, civic engagement and much more,” Gray said.
She also noted her support for a bill crafted by U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont, which is now part of the $94 billion broadband package introduced by 30 House and Senate Democrats on Thursday. Welch’s focus was providing access to “unserved and underserved households”, and he also set aside some funding specifically for small states.
“The digital divide is real and has only widened since the start of the COVID pandemic,” Welch said in a statement last week. “There is no disputing that fast, reliable broadband service is essential in our modern economy. After a year of remote schooling, online medical appointments, and family Zoom calls, the need for high-speed internet for all Americans is even more clear.”
Welch is a member of the Broadband Task Force led by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, of South Carolina, a key author of the $94 billion plan. Clyburn highlighted broadband as a long-term economic need.
“We’re not going to grow the economy in our communities all across the country without broadband,” he told The Washington Post. “The investments we’re making in this, and the build-out over three to four years, makes this one of the best infrastructure efforts we can undertake today.”
Though it was the pandemic that thrust broadband into the spotlight more than ever, the growing need for this service extends beyond the current crisis. The future of economic development hinges on it, as does access to education. Online learning will change, develop, and expand in the coming years, from the younger grades through college. Telehealth will grow, and connecting to high-speed internet is a clear must-have for businesses.
Decades ago, the country reached a point where having multiple regions underserved — or untouched — by electrical utilities was simply no longer an option. Broadband is at that point, and the federal funding and legislative efforts at the state level are encouraging. Hopefully, new dollars and new programs can be deployed for everyone’s benefit, especially for those most in need. The great need for broadband access is one lesson from the pandemic that is having an impact on decision-makers. The need has been expressed, not forgotten, and is attracting legislation. That makes it an important moment for the country, and it’s crucial to keep that momentum going.
Along the way, people may disagree on how to best achieve the goal. But with the renewed focus and steadfast work on this issue, we can take decisive steps to increase access. It appears progress is on the horizon, and broadband is an essential gateway to resources and opportunities — ones that each community needs and deserves.
— Gareth Henderson
