Remarks of Assistant Secretary Redl at MMTC Broadband and Social Justice Summit

Today I'm going to talk about what the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NDIA) and the Administration are doing to help promote investment in broadband and ensure that all Americans have access to the connectivity they need to meaningfully participate in the modern economy.

We know from our previous data that when we say "digital divide," we're talking about longstanding disparities in Internet use based on race and ethnicity, among other demographic gaps. To help bridge that divide, NTIA is partnering with the Commerce Department's Office of Civil Rights and North Carolina Central University to promote collaboration among the CIOs of North Carolina's 11 historically Black Colleges and Universities. Anchor institutions, such as schools and libraries, can play a key role as both customers of high-speed service and a potential avenue for extending service to other users. Through our collaboration, we will seek to enhance broadband on the campuses of these HBCUs, as well as in the surrounding communities, with the ultimate goal of advancing local economic development.