Governors Start 2021 By Expanding Access To Broadband

As Governors continue to deliver their State of the State Addresses, expanding affordable, high-speed internet access has emerged as a key priority for states and territories in 2021. To date, at least 31 Governors have highlighted broadband infrastructure, and the technologies required for remote learning and telemedicine, as critical to closing equity gaps and for responding to both the coronavirus related pandemic and the associated economic crisis. Matching rhetoric with action, many Governors also started 2021 by launching new broadband initiatives and program expansions in their 2021 state budget proposals. Governors have a key role in expanding broadband access, with a unique capacity to set policy priorities, connect multiple agencies, and work across jurisdictions on the inherently intersectional nature of broadband policy.