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Dear friend,
Millions of Americans have been asked to stay home from work and school in order to stop the spread of coronavirus. That's hard to do without access to high speed broadband.
The United States still has a huge digital divide. Many homes don't have reliable internet or broadband. Some workers are using dialup to connect to their job. Some parents are using cell phones to get access to their children's schoolwork. It's unfair and unjust that millions of Americans are going every day without access to the internet during this pandemic.
Congress is debating the next round of stimulus, and is considering including billions for broadband. But it's in danger of getting cut out once again. We need your help right now to make sure this passes.
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to include broadband for all in the next stimulus bill!
Right now we don't know how long the "stay home" orders will last. Even if they are lifted soon, there's still the possibility of another necessary quarantine later this year if coronavirus infections return.
But this isn't a new problem. Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the United States had one of the worst digital divides among major economies. Anywhere between 25 million and 160 million Americans don't have reliable broadband.1
The problem is worse in rural America and in the inner cities. Many communities and neighborhoods have been red-lined for decades, as the big cable companies focus only on wealthy customers and leave whole populations out.
America is going to need a major economic recovery effort to avoid a severe recession. Universal, affordable broadband should be a centerpiece of that work. Now is the time to tell Congress to pass it into law as part of the next stimulus bill. Will you help?
Add your name and tell Congress: Include broadband for all in the next stimulus bill!
Thanks for taking action in this urgent moment,
Robert and the team at Demand Progress
Sources:
1. Pew Trust, "America's Digital Divide," July 26, 2019.
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