Remarks by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves at the Virginia BEAD Event

There are about 8.5 million locations in America that lack access to quality service. In Virginia, there are more than 360,000 locations that are unserved or underserved. Each of those locations represents a generations-old farm that can’t harvest using modern tools, a fledgling small business stuck in an analog era, a working class family cut off from vital telehealth care, or a young student missing out on lifechanging opportunities that the digital world can provide. But as of this week, that all changes. Virginia will receive an investment of nearly $1.5 billion dollars to ensure everyone in the state has access. The digital divide is not a new problem – we’ve known about it for decades – and many have tried to bridge that gap and expand broadband infrastructure to every corner of this country. But President Biden is making it a reality, and once again proving that there’s no limit to what this country can do when we work together. Throughout our history, there have been moments when our country came together to achieve great things – to change lives with a commitment to leaving no one behind. Just like the Rural Electrification Act a century ago and the Interstate Highway System that followed it, this is our generation’s opportunity to transform our nation’s infrastructure and, by doing so, improve Americans’ lives.