Press Releases

NACo's Broadband Task Force Co-Chair Councilmember Craig Rice is Focused on Deleting the Digital Divide as NACo's Broadband Task Force Releases Report

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 14, 2021

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 14, 2021—In an effort to delete the digital divide in counties both rural and urban across the country, NACo’s Broadband Task Force released a report July 12 during the 2021 NACo Annual Conference outlining nine specific themes that address ways to provide more accessible and affordable broadband.

“We have seen the impact of the pandemic on our families and businesses, the need for reliable, accessible high-speed internet is more acute than ever,” said Task Force Co-Chair Craig Rice.

“This is a starting point,” he said. “There is so much more that needs to be done and deleting the digital divide is one of my top priorities.”

A report, titled Understanding the True State of Connectivity in America, released by NACo and partner organizations in 2020, found that 65 percent of counties across the U.S. experienced the internet at speeds below the minimum standards set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Lack of reliable accessible broadband is a significant barrier to education, health and economic opportunities as well as quality of life.

Councilmember Rice along with Judge J.D. Clark from Wise, Texas co-chaired the NACo Broadband Task Force, comprised of nearly three dozen county government officials nationwide to study the lack of reliable broadband with a particular focus on the challenges facing underserved communities.

The four primary areas of work addressed by the task force included preparing for broadband; barriers to buildout; digital divides and digital disparities; and future-proofing and the economy. Each area of work includes short-term, intermediate and long-term goals.

The report, Broadband Task Force: High-Speed Internet is Essential For All Counties, outlines nine themes that serve as force multipliers in deploying enhanced and more affordable service. These include:

• Defining a modern “minimum standard” of broadband;
• Implementing smart “Dig Once” policies and practices including “right of way” as public assets;
• Testing and deploying fiber, cellular, satellite and other technologies;
• Focusing on local community engagement and partnerships;
• Tackling the “Homework Gap”;
• Removing bans on municipal broadband;
• Establishing a national grants/loans clearinghouse;
• Regulating broadband as a utility; and
• Committing to world-leading broadband data and mapping analytics.

“This report outlines the challenges that we identified within our rural, urban and tribal communities,” Rice said. “It provides a roadmap for how we can implement and sustain affordable and accessible broadband along with other communication solutions to eliminate the digital divide.”

View the report here: https://www.naco.org/resources/broadband-task-force-high-speed-internet-essential-all-counties

Press Contact
Sharon Ledner
Chief of Staff for Councilmember Rice
[email protected]
240-777-7951

Release ID: 21-291
Media Contact: Sharon Ledner 240-777-7951
Categories: Craig Rice