NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield marking the anniversary of the signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA):
“One year ago today I was standing on the South Lawn of the White House alongside a bipartisan group of lawmakers watching President Biden sign the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, infusing billions of dollars for an unprecedented national broadband deployment effort. The signing of the infrastructure law confirmed rural broadband as a top national priority. If executed properly, the programs created by this landmark law have the potential to deliver on the promise of innovative technologies, create new jobs, and enable breakthroughs in healthcare and education. NTCA’s community-based broadband providers have a long track record of serving some of the most remote parts of our country, and we stand ready to work with the government at all levels and with partners across the nation to get this right and to connect more rural Americans.”
Since the signing of the IIJA last year, NTCA member companies have received over $1 billion in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect funding, over half of what was allocated to the ReConnect program in the legislation. NTCA also recently joined the White House’s Talent Pipeline Challenge to create training, apprenticeship and education opportunities for rural America’s broadband workforce.