Congressman Steven Horsford Calls for Expanded Broadband Access in Coronavirus Response

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) sent two letters to advocate for broadband internet access. Congressman Horsford sent a letter to Congressional leadership to request the inclusion of necessary funding to ensure that Americans have access to broadband internet in any coronavirus economic recovery legislation.

"The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the necessity of ensuring broadband access for Americans in rural communities across the country, including the Nevadans that I represent in the rural parts of our state," Congressman Horsford said. "Economic mobility and access to vital tele-health services should not be determined by zip code. By making a historic investment in our nation's e-connectivity, we will not only stimulate the economy in the rural parts of our country, but also open access to economic opportunities across all of Nevada by giving those in the most remote areas the same access to our 21st century economy as those in the largest cities."

More than half of Nevada counties lack broadband services at current FCC standards and more than half of the state's total area either lacks cellular service or only has one provider. Approximately 220,000 Nevadans lack access to a wired connection capable of 25 mbps download speeds, and 100,000 Nevadans live in places where there is no wired internet. Nationwide, as of 2019, more than one in four rural residents still lack broadband access.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright spotlight on the disparities that exist across the country between those who have broadband and those who do not. These disparities have real public health and economic impacts – and not just during a public health crisis," the letter to Congressional leadership reads. "In addition to looking for short-term solutions that can immediately mitigate some of these disparities and provide relief during this crisis, we also need to address the issue of broadband connectivity over the long-term."

The Congressman also sent a letter to urge the Federal Communications Commission to work directly with the Department of Agriculture to ensure that the millions of Americans who are now eligible for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance program due to job loss or reduction in income are informed that as a result, they are also eligible for the FCC's Lifeline program—the primary federal program charged with helping low-income Americans obtain broadband and telephone services.

"Congress has passed legislation to provide additional funding and flexibility to states to enable more Americans to access SNAP during this crisis, thereby also making more Americans eligible for enrollment in the Lifeline program" the letter to the FCC reads. "Many of the at least 22 million Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own in the last four weeks may also soon have to rely on food assistance programs. This will likely lead to large increases in the number of Americans eligible for the Lifeline program."

Currently, only about 40% of households that were eligible for Lifeline subscribed. This is due in part to individuals not knowing that they are eligible. Ensuring that eligible consumers know about their eligibility, is an easy way to narrow the digital divide, and something that should be done even after the pandemic has ended.

The full text of the letter to Congressional Leadership can be found here.

The full text of the letter to the FCC can be found here.