Hoyer Meets with State, County, and Regional Officials for Virtual Roundtable Discussion on Broadband Access in Southern Maryland

Statement

Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer hosted a virtual roundtable with state, county, and regional officials to discuss the urgent need to expand access to high-speed, quality broadband across Southern Maryland:

"Across America, 30 million households have limited or no access to broadband internet service, especially in rural areas. Broadband adoption is also a problem, especially in low-income areas, disproportionately among households of color. We are seeing the impacts of this right here in Maryland's Fifth District. I was grateful for the opportunity to host state, county, and regional officials today to discuss the need to address broadband access and adoption across Southern Maryland to ensure more families have this important service in their homes and communities," said Congressman Hoyer.

"Hearing the concerns and the priorities of officials across Southern Maryland reinforced the urgency our communities face in improving the deployment of broadband services. Democrats have long prioritized this need and created emergency resources during the pandemic including the Emergency Broadband Benefit, which provides a broadband subsidy for low-income families. In the American Rescue Plan, we secured billions in funding to expand access for schools and bolster broadband infrastructure for neighborhoods across the country," continued Congressman Hoyer.

"Having reliable, high-speed broadband is a necessity in the 21st century. This service allows Marylanders to utilize telehealth resources, improves educational tools and opportunities, and keeps communities connected and informed. I am hopeful that upcoming infrastructure legislation will build on House Democrats' work, and help close the digital divide in Southern Maryland. I will continue my efforts in Congress and work with the Biden Administration to push for greater measures that allow more Marylanders to benefit from affordable and reliable broadband," Congressman Hoyer concluded.

Source