Washington,
D.C.
— Following the release of President
Trump’s infrastructure proposal, TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of
innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today called for broadband
deployment and internet connectivity to be part of any legislation developed by
Congress.

The Trump Administration today released an infrastructure
plan as part of its fiscal year 2019 budget proposal. The Administration is proposing $200
billion in direct federal spending, with $50 billion for rural infrastructure
in the form of block grants to states.
The block grants can cover many modes of infrastructure, including
broadband. However, there are no
dedicated provisions in the proposal for broadband deployment or internet
connectivity.

“We agree with the President that our infrastructure is in
desperate need of modernization worthy of a 21st century economic powerhouse,
and a critical part of this effort is extending broadband to every corner of
our nation,”
said TechNet
President and CEO Linda Moore. “In
today’s technology-driven society,
vibrant broadband networks help fuel small business growth and are a
key part of closing the ‘homework gap’ that exists because too many of our
students lack reliable internet access and can’t complete assignments that
require it.

“Infrastructure proposals should encourage cooperation
between the public and private sectors to build out our nation’s broadband
networks, cloud services, and connectivity infrastructure so that they can
support modern transportation, technological, and energy needs
,” Moore added. “This is not only an investment in our
nation’s future, but also one that will create jobs and opportunities for
Americans now.”