Access to Broadband the Top Economic Issue, Says Heartland Forward’s Angie Cooper

“Think about electricity—we just turn it off and on. Broadband should be the same way.” That’s what Heartland Forward’s Executive Vice President Angie Cooper said. Cooper says Heartland Forward was formed with one question in mind: “How do we change the narrative about the middle of the country and promote economic growth?” The result is a four-pillar focus: (1) Innovation and Entrepreneurship, (2) Human Capital and Workforce Development, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Regional Economic Competitiveness. The last pillar, Regional Economic Competitiveness, is the foundation of their Connecting the Heartland initiative, which is an “initiative to boost internet availability, affordability, and adoption rates for participation in online services that are key to economic opportunity.” According to Heartland Forward and Cooper, as its representative, access to broadband is the single most important economic issue facing the United States heartland today.