Now is the Moment for Broadband for All

Cisco released the US Municipal Infrastructure Index, a nationwide survey of city, county, town and tribal government leaders. The findings are clear: an overwhelming majority agree that broadband is “critical infrastructure” and placed essential upgrades in the top tier of their must-do projects in their locales. We found:

• 94 percent said broadband is a crucial element of infrastructure for “having a well-educated and informed public;”
• 91 percent considered internet access “critical to future economic growth in our community;
• 80 percent said they consider broadband to be “critical infrastructure;
• 70 percent said they have “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects that could be started if funding became available.

Cisco will continue to help service providers connect, secure, and automate their networks to deliver essential connectivity with dramatically reduced investments making it easier to expand broadband access and ensure that rural Americans can securely access the economic, educational, and health opportunities they need. It’s imperative that America builds back better by providing broadband access to all Americans. Investments in rural broadband are overdue.