Slotkin Hosts Rural Broadband Roundtable with Local Leaders

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) convened local leaders in Ingham and Livingston County today to hear about their communities' challenges in accessing reliable internet, and to discuss ways to ensure strong, affordable broadband access for all Michiganders.

"We should treat broadband like we do any other utility," Slotkin said on the call."For our kids, their opportunities, our local economies, keeping people around –– we need universal broadband."

Particularly given the importance of strong internet connection for employment, education and commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of reliable internet access in some 8th District communities poses an urgent, significant challenge. For instance, one local leader told Slotkin today they cannot successfully hold a remote township board meeting, because board members lack an adequate internet connection. Right now, Livingston County is part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's "Prosperity Region 9," where an estimated 48% of people in the region do not have reliable internet access.

Slotkin told the group she has also heard from students who have had to take online AP exams in parking lots, and from teachers who, in the early days of the pandemic, had to deliver hard copies of worksheets to students without internet access.

She was joined by a number of local leaders from the 8th district, including a representative from U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow's team, State Representative Julie Brixie, township supervisors, school superintendents, and county commissioners from Ingham and Livingston Counties.

As part of the bipartisan COVID relief bill Slotkin fought to pass in December 2020, Congress enacted a series of measures to provide broadband access for those who need it. The bill established or provided funding for the following programs:

• A new grant program at NTIA that provides $300 million to support broadband infrastructure deployment to areas lacking broadband, especially rural areas.
• The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program includes $285 million for grants that will support internet connectivity for businesses and nonprofits that serve minority communities. At least 20 percent of the funding must be used to ensure that students of such institutions have internet service and devices.
• $3.2 billion was appropriated for the FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which allows eligible households to receive a discount of up to $50 off the cost of internet service, and a subsidy for devices such as computers and tablets. Eligibility details and participating providers should be announced in the coming weeks here.
• $54 billion in funding was provided to K-12 schools to support students and teachers, including to facilitate internet connectivity.

The COVID-19 relief bill that Congress will vote on within the next two weeks includes $7.6 billion to establish an Emergency Connectivity Fund for broadband support, and would require the Federal Communications Commission to support schools and libraries, enabling them to provide devices, internet service, and hotspots to teachers and students. The FCC would reimburse the full cost associated with eligible equipment and service, and funding will be distributed through the E-rate program.

Last Congress, Slotkin also co-sponsored the ACCESS BROADBAND Act to foster the development and growth of broadband resources for underserved communities, the RURAL Act, which would protect electric cooperatives as they provide affordable internet, and the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2019, which requires broadband providers to report broadband availability in different areas, allowing for better broadband mapping.

Original source can be found here.