The Biden Administration’s comprehensive American Jobs Plan has numerous components, many of which fall under a broad definition of infrastructure – infrastructure that extends far beyond the roads, bridges and railways to include the digital highway enterprises depend upon heavily.
As part of the IW Members Only offering, we will run regular video chats designed to spend a few moments with thought leaders to discuss topics that matter to American manufacturers.
Continuing the focus on the infrastructure plan, this episode dives into the broadband component of the plan where the goal is to positively impact and ultimately support the evolving future of work, including the potential to expand the talent pool available to companies.
From the Fact Sheet
According to the fact sheet released by the White House, broadband internet is the new electricity. “It is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected. Yet, by one definition, more than 30 million Americans live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds. Americans in rural areas and on tribal lands particularly lack adequate access. And, in part because the United States has some of the highest broadband prices among OECD countries, millions of Americans can’t use broadband internet even if the infrastructure exists where they live. In urban areas as well, there is a stark digital divide: a much higher percentage of White families use home broadband internet than Black or Latino families. The last year made painfully clear the cost of these disparities, particularly for students who struggled to connect while learning remotely, compounding learning loss and social isolation for those students.”
The Biden Administration is asking Congress to invest $100 billion in order to:
- Build high-speed broadband infrastructure to reach 100 percent coverage.
- Promote transparency and competition.
- Reduce the cost of broadband internet service and promote more widespread adoption.
IW Members Only Video Chats will appear weekly within the members only section. Do you have a topic you would like to learn more about? Are you interested in being a guest? Send me an email at [email protected].
