The infrastructure bill that recently cleared the U.S. Senate, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will make an historic investment in our nation’s critical infrastructure. It’s been far too long since the federal government seriously took on the structural issues that have divided our country. Thankfully, the infrastructure bill also gives our country a real chance to make progress on the inequities dividing our country. Nowhere did this become more evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic than in access to high-speed internet, and this country’s past failure to get all Americans — especially rural and tribal communities — connected to this vital resource.
Now more than ever, Americans are reliant on internet access to go about their daily lives. Whether it’s parents who need the internet to work remotely to take care of a child home from school, older Americans who rely upon telehealth services to maintain their well-being while reducing their exposure to COVID, or children who need to attend classes online to ensure that they don’t fall behind in school, every American at every stage in life needs reliable internet access to keep up.
Unfortunately, millions of Americans across the nation continue to lack access to this necessity for three primary reasons. The first is that they live in areas that do not have broadband infrastructure. The problem is acute in tribal communities, where a high number of households lack access to high-speed internet despite years of promises to bring these communities online. The second main reason folks aren’t online has nothing to do with where they live. Even though they live in a community that has broadband infrastructure, they simply cannot afford the cost despite most internet service providers offering entry level plans for $10-20 per month. Third, folks — particularly those that live in communities that fall into the previous two categories — don’t have the digital literacy skills to get online. All of these issues exist here in Nevada, and closing the digital divide means addressing them head on.
Thankfully, the infrastructure bill addresses all of these problems and will make the most meaningful progress in decades in terms of in closing the digital divide in Nevada. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act prioritizes bringing broadband to truly unserved communities, meaning that Nevada will receive — at a minimum — $100 million to help bring high-speed internet coverage to the over 123,000 people here who lack it. It’s hard to overstate how much of a game-changer this is for folks who were struggling to work remotely, run their business online or keep their kids connected when schools went remote.
Beyond access, this legislation addresses broadband affordability as well. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 26% of people in Nevada will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access. This will be administered by expanding what was temporary pandemic relief and turning it into a $30-a-month benefit, building on a highly successful program that has helped millions afford access to high-speed internet. The federal government provides financial assistance for groceries, school lunches, housing and health care. The bill accurately demonstrates that high-speed internet is also an essential part of everyday life by funding a program that allows every American to afford access.
Just as importantly, the infrastructure bill includes the Digital Equity Act and provides $2.75 billion in funding to support it. This provision would provide digital skills training and education to low-income communities, improve online accessibility for people with disabilities and help fund programs so rural communities can address their broadband needs. In other words, it helps make sure that the people who most desperately need the federal government’s help getting online, whether they struggle with access or affordability — the very people targeted in the broader legislative package — know exactly how they can get online and utilize the power of the internet.
We can’t go back to the days when internet access was defined by where you live or what you earned. If these issues go unaddressed, the already significant gap between those with internet access and those without will continue to widen. Parents who lack broadband will not only miss out on jobs that require internet to work remotely, but also be unable to access online resources that enable them to train for jobs that would provide their family with a better life. Farmers who order supplies online will have to go back to sitting in library parking lots to connect to public Wi-Fi or praying for a strong enough cell phone signal. Those with health issues who lack internet access will miss out on telehealth services that have proven to be life-saving over the past year and a half, complicating an already difficult public health situation. Students who cannot attend remote classes will fall behind in their learning, through no fault of their own, and potentially have irreparable harm done to their educational development.
We are in the final stage of addressing an issue that has held back millions of Americans for far too long. We finally have a chance to close the digital divide and build back better for everyone. But it will only happen if our elected representatives in the House understand not only the impact of broadband inequity, but the urgency of it, and pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act so we can get every American connected now.
Taylor Patterson is executive director of Native Voters Alliance-Nevada.