Tell Congress: Rural Broadband Access is Essential

Right now, the internet is now serving as an even greater essential utility, but approximately 19 million Americans — or roughly 6 percent of the population — are without broadband service at basic, threshold speeds. This is huge considering the unique challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Unemployment: millions of Americans are unemployed due to the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but without access to computers or the internet, millions of people are unable to apply for new jobs or the unemployment benefits they desperately need.
• E-Commerce: businesses large and small are relying on online sales more than ever. As they adapt to in real-time to the challenges of keeping their businesses afloat, reliable internet for both their employees and their customers is critical.
• Education: schools have transitioned to online learning, but children from often low-income families in both rural and urban areas are falling behind without the resources they need to connect with their teachers and classmates.
• Public access points: places where families could use the internet like cafes, libraries, and other public spaces, are now closed due to COVID-19.

It's critically important to close this digital divide -- the gap between those with internet and computer access and those without. Sign your name and demand Congress take action to expand broadband internet access.