Press Release
August 10, 2021
Contact: Jon Conradi
[email protected]

The Infrastructure Investment And Jobs Act is a Critical Down Payment — Policymakers Must Continue Working to Permanently and Completely Bridge Digital Divide

Washington, D.C. – Connect Americans Now (CAN) executive director Richard T. Cullen released the following statement applauding the U.S. Senate passage Tuesday of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that includes $65 billion to support broadband deployment, adoption and skills.

“Connect Americans Now applauds senators, on both sides of the aisle, who rightly recognized that broadband deployment, adoption and digital skills are critical infrastructure necessary to safeguard the American Dream in every community,” Cullen said. “This bipartisan down payment on tackling the broadband gap will help ensure more Americans, living in both urban and rural areas, can acquire a quality education, access virtual health care tools and participate in the full promise of the 21^st century digital economy.”

“CAN is encouraged by this positive progress but there is much more work to be done,” Cullen added. “Lawmakers in the U.S. House should swiftly advance this vital down payment on closing the broadband gap and policymakers should build on the momentum for action with additional solutions to permanently bridge the digital divide.”

Founded in 2017, Connect Americans Now (CAN) is a broad-based coalition of more than 300 companies and organizations representing leading voices in agriculture, education, health care, veterans’ issues, technology and small business — committed to urgent action to completely eliminate the digital divide in every American community.

Learn more about solutions to permanently close the broadband gap HERE.

Read more on CAN and our mission HERE.