Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo tells TIME that high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but a “basic human right”
he White House on Monday announced more than $42 billion in new federal funding to expand high-speed internet access nationwide and ensure even the most rural communities can reap the economic benefits of the digital age., whose department will oversee the new funding, said that high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but a “basic human right” as modern life becomes more digitized.
There is some political logic to allocating billions of taxpayer dollars to bringing broadband to rural communities, which make up a large part of former President Donald Trump’s base. But Raimondo, who served as Governor of Rhode Island for six years, points out that the digital divide isn’t just a rural, red-state issue. “I come from a state which is not rural or mountainous, and most people do have internet, except for a lot of people it’s unaffordable,” she says.
Raimondo explained that states will have until the end of the year to submit a blueprint of how they plan to use the funding, which won’t be distributed until those plans are approved—a process that Raimondo says could take months. After receiving approval, states can then award grants to telecommunications companies and other service providers to bring broadband to disconnected communities.
“It’s the biggest investment in high-speed internet ever, because for today’s economy to work for everyone, internet access is just as important as electricity or water or other basic services,” he added.
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