Today, Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09) convened an Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Broadband Roundtable with Communication Workers of America (CWA) leaders and members.
The group celebrated the passage of the bipartisan bill and this important step in bringing our infrastructure into the twenty-first century but cautioned that the funds must be invested in true upgrades to the best-available technology and not just provide "bandaids" to our outdated system. The group also discussed the importance of passing the Build Back Better Act and the labor provisions championed by Rep. Andy Levin to impose meaningful penalties on employers who violate the health and safety of workers and their right to organize.
You can watch the full conversation here.
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"I learned so much about how far we have fallen behind in broadband infrastructure talking with CWA members today," said Congressman Andy Levin. "These leaders are such experts in their industry and really bring the values of equity, inclusion and solidarity to all facets of their work. They gave me a great lesson in broadband speed and how many different communities this impacts – and I could attest to it personally as a dad of four during the pandemic with everyone home under one roof! It is so important that as these investments come to Michigan and put people to work at good-paying, union jobs, we make sure we are providing the fastest connectivity possible to Michigan businesses, residents and students so that we are competitive in a twenty-first century economy."
Broadband internet is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, to receive health care and to stay connected, yet 14 percent of Michigan households do not have an internet subscription, including many in Michigan's Ninth District as evidenced by local school districts scrambling to provide hotspots to children in the pivot to virtual learning during the pandemic.
Thanks to Congressman Andy Levin's work to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Michigan will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, providing access to at least 398,000 Michiganders who currently lack it. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 2,482,000 or 25 percent of people in Michigan will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access.
Source:https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-hosts-broadband-expansion-roundtable-experts-and-labor-leaders
