Friends,I’m just reaching out to make sure you heard the big news… Virginia is getting a HUGE investment to expand broadband!Today, I announced almost $1.5 billion in federal funding to improve internet coverage across the Commonwealth. This is funding made possible by the bipartisan infrastructure law, seismic legislation that is making transformational investments in infrastructure of all types – roads, bridges, airports, public transit, rail projects, and today… internet!I was a lead negotiator on this law, and I knew from the jump that funding for broadband had to be a priority. As I visit communities across the Commonwealth, I hear frustrations about lack of coverage time and time again… and if the pandemic made anything clear, it’s that high-speed internet isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a need-to-have, so families across Virginia don’t have to drive their kids to McDonald’s parking lots to do their homework.That’s why I made sure broadband funding was in the final version of the bill, and why I worked across the aisle to get it passed. Following huge investments from the American Rescue Plan and now the bipartisan infrastructure law, it’s safe to say that if we don’t have universal coverage in the next couple years, it’ll be a failure of execution… not a failure of funding.I also know that broadband isn’t actually accessible if it’s physically present but tremendously expensive. That’s why I also made sure there are programs designed to cut the costs of coverage for Virginians that meet certain conditions. Read more about the Affordable Connectivity Program and check your eligibility here.I’m going to keep working to make sure that this funding is deployed efficiently so that we can finally close the digital divide. This award is a tremendous step, but my work advocating for broadband is far from over. If you’re interested in hearing more about this announcement, I filmed a short video that you can see here.If you want to reach out to me about broadband or another issue that’s important to you, you can send me an email any time using the form on my Senate website. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
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