U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced $175 million in Internet access funding for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), UPI reported.
US Vice President Kamala Harris
Affordable high-speed Internet is an essential part of modern life, Harris said Monday at Benedict College.
Funding comes through a bipartisan infrastructure bill to improve Internet access at 61 HBCUs — Benedict will get nearly $3 million.
“In communities across our country, students who have affordable access are using the Internet to complete their homework,” Harris said. “Parents use the internet to order groceries. Seniors are using the internet to see a doctor without leaving home. -business owners use the Internet to buy supplies, manage payroll, even run their cash register.”
More than 24 million American households do not have access to the Internet because of cost or unavailability in the area, Harris said.
“I’ve heard so many stories about what it means when people don’t have internet. Students who have to sit in a fast food restaurant parking lot to turn in their homework on public Wi-Fi,” Harris said,
The Biden-Harris Infrastructure Act has $65 billion to bring high-speed Internet to every home. And the plan is already adding jobs, such as for electricians and technicians, Harris said.
Harris also praised Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-SC, for authoring the Accessible and Affordable Internet for All Act, which aims to help connect all American households with affordable and accessible high-speed Internet.
