Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin
The proposed 100 mbps standard for broadband connections follows Senators’ bipartisan letter to FCC Chair Rosenworcel in March of last year
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Angus King (I-ME), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rob Portman (R-OH) applauded the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) newly proposed standard for broadband connections as 100 megabits per second (mbps) download or faster. The proposed change will improve Internet connectivity for families across West Virginia and the United States, particularly in rural communities.
“As rural communities across the country begin to see the massive impacts of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic investment in affordable broadband technology, we must make sure everyone has the high-speed connections needed to fully engage in 21st century life,” said the Senators. “To avoid lagging behind in our increasingly connected world, rural residents need the ability to work remotely, video conference with their loved ones, and access vital services like distance learning or telehealth. The current federal broadband standard of 25 megabits per second download speed has proven to be insufficient for these needs, and must be significantly updated to ensure reliable service. We’re glad Chair Rosenworcel has heard our calls to modernize this definition, and urge the FCC to finalize their decision on the standard as soon as possible.”