NAR Letter to Senator Wicker Regarding Broadband Connectivity Act
Issue Date: June 30, 2020
On June 30, NAR sent a letter to Senator Wicker. The letter thanks Senator Wicker for his leadership advancing the deployment of broadband in rural America, and for the introduction of the Accelerating Broadband Connectivity Act. This legislation strengthens the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction and incentivizes bidders to expeditiously deploy broadband buildout in underserved communities. Broadband has become essential to daily life as more activities move online. This has become particularly apparent during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as many employers have transitioned to telework and schools have transitioned to distance learning. The problem is especially dire in rural areas, where lack of funding and burdensome regulations have contributed to slow broadband deployment. Roughly 21 million Americans, many in rural areas, still cannot connect to the Internet, and in many instances, it is too slow and too expensive for the households who do have access.