Sen Bennet highlights bipartisan efforts to close the digital divide

At the annual National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) conference in Denver, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) highlighted the progress Congress has made to expand access to high-speed, affordable broadband and close the digital divide. In 2021, Sen. Bennet introduced the bipartisan Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act with Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Angus King (I-MA), which was incorporated into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make the single largest investment in broadband in history. Sen Bennet has helped lead the effort to bridge America’s digital divide in Congress. Sen. Bennet, alongside Senators King, Portman, and Joe Manchin (D-WV) urged the Biden Administration to establish a consistent, 21st-century definition of broadband to reflect the modern demands of families, farms, and businesses. Additionally, Sen. Bennet and others welcomed the Federal Communication Commission's proposal to redefine broadband connections as 100 Mbps or faster for download speeds. During the pandemic, Sen. Bennet also consistently called for more funding and flexibility for the FCC’s E-Rate program to connect low-income students online and helped secure more than $7 billion to close the digital divide for students nationwide in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).