U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has introduced legislation that would provide $5 billion in matching grants to expand broadband access in rural areas of the country.
“Rural Americans deserve to enjoy the benefits of high-speed internet the same way that urban Americans do,” Collins says.
Businesses in rural areas, says Collins, need access to broadband in order to compete. Her proposal would invite states and local internet companies to put up matching funds to draw down the federal grant money. Collins says the grants would be targeted first to those areas most in need.
“The infrastructure installed must be capable of delivering higher speeds as broadband accelerates in the future,” she says.
