Statement on First Four States to Receive Funding from the Federal $10 Billion Broadband and Capital Expenditure Program

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2022— Louisiana, New Hampshire, Virginia and West Virginia are the first states to benefit from the $10 billion Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan approved by Congress and the Biden Administration in March 2021. Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, issued the following statement regarding the funds that are expected to bring internet service to 200,000 homes and businesses across the four states.

"The COVID-19 pandemic made clear that affordable high-speed internet service is essential to modern life. The federal funds made available by the Capital Projects Fund in the American Rescue Plan will expand broadband infrastructure and increase affordability for hundreds of thousands of families in rural America and in low-income households.

"The high-speed internet connectivity that will result from this program will be key to pandemic recovery. Parents will be able to work from home when they need to, kids will be able to access the best educational tools available, and families will no longer have to make sacrifices to stay connected.

"I applaud the Biden Administration, which has prioritized investments in affordable, high-speed internet access when American families need it the most. These funds, along with the larger broadband investment in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, are crucial to help close the digital divide."

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