HTTP Applauds House Passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.
WASHINGTON — On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a once in a generation $1.2-trillion investment to modernize our country’s infrastructure.
The bill includes critical cross-sector investments that help to guarantee an equitable economic recovery by serving as a blueprint to rebuild America — creating good paying jobs, addressing the climate crisis, and extending digital opportunity to every home with $65 billion earmarked for broadband deployment and affordability.
The IIJA is a significant bipartisan effort that provides states and local communities with the tools and resources necessary to reimagine the way that essential services are made available and delivers on the President’s promise to jump start the economy with a dedicated focus on equity, opportunity, and choice.
HTTP’s Executive Director Alejandro Roark said:
“Access to high quality, dependable and affordable broadband is a critical tool for the success of the Latino community nationwide. Today only 65% of Latino households are able to afford the cost of having broadband service at home. The IIJA represents an important congressional investment in closing the digital divide and addresses the compounding barriers faced by historically under-connected communities: access, affordability and adoption.”
ACCESS: The bill makes $40 billion available for broadband deployment through grants administered by the Department of Commerce. These grants will provide states with funds for broadband deployment and digital equity, as well as with support to help them meet congressional funding requirements.
AFFORDABILITY: The bill makes the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program permanent with long term funding and a new name as the revamped Affordable Connectivity Program which provides low income households with up to $30 a month to help offset the cost of broadband service from participating providers.
ADOPTION: The bill calls for the FCC and other federal agencies to increase broadband pricing transparency and prevent discrimination based on race, income, or geography as well as a making part of the state’s funding allotment available for activities such as data collection, support staff, and local outreach and digital skills training.
“What is clear today is that having the ability to connect to high speed broadband at home is synonymous with a family's ability to succeed in our 21st century economy. For the Latino community that means access to new modes of learning, increased access to healthcare, the ability to prepare for the jobs of the future, and most importantly the ability to co-create an inclusive tech future where everyone has the opportunity to build, connect and thrive.
We look forward to working with policy makers, federal agencies and local communities across the country to develop effective strategies to close the digital divide and make universal broadband a reality for everyone.”
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