Remarks by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves at the Rural Broadband Table in Atlanta

Today, it is very easy for us to take the internet for granted. But broadband has such a huge impact on our lives. 90% of Americans say that the internet has been essential or important to them during the pandemic. Yet, we know that access to broadband and the internet is not created equal, with more than 30 million Americans lacking access to reliable broadband, and the problem is worse in minority and rural communities. As the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies has reported, 38 percent of Black households in the rural South lack access to broadband at acceptable speeds. Black families in general are 9 percent less likely to have high-speed internet than their white peers. Right here in Georgia, 15% of households do not have an internet subscription, and over 640,000 Georgians lack access to broadband. This is an injustice, and it must end. Fortunately, I am here to tell you that help is on the way. Because of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are finally able to tackle this issue in a robust and meaningful way by providing $65 billion to expand broadband in communities across the US— $48 billion of which is being allocated to the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Every single state, including Georgia, will receive at least $100 million for broadband expansion and affordability. This landmark legislation will also provide $2.75 billion to fund the Digital Equity Act, which provides funding to promote digital inclusion and equity for communities to take advantage of broadband connections, including technical.