Press Release
February 4, 2020

Broad-Based Coalition Notes Additional Steps Must Be Taken To Fully Eliminate the Rural Broadband Gap  

Washington, D.C. – Connect Americans Now (CAN) Executive Director Richard T. Cullen released the following statement on the State of the Union address Tuesday, during which President Trump reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to bridging the digital divide.

“Connect Americans Now commends President Trump for his administration’s continued commitment to bridging the digital divide in rural America,” Cullen said. “The White House has called for significant investments in rural broadband deployments and helped create the conditions for positive action at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Federal Communications Commission.”

“While progress has been made, there is still much more the White House and policymakers in Washington can do to close the broadband gap for millions of Americans living in unserved and underserved rural areas,” Cullen added. “In particular, Connect Americans Now encourages policymakers in Washington to ensure funding mechanisms remain technology neutral, support additional solutions to improve the mapping of the digital divide and prioritize solutions to enhance the pace and scale of deployments in rural areas by maximizing the benefit of available spectrum.”

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