OPINION: Expanding Broadband is Critical for Education

And also for the economy, health care, and infrastructure

About 30 years ago, home internet access was for a select few, but today, reliable high-speed internet is an essential part of modern-day communication, education and economic growth. Broadband access helps us connect with others, it offers endless amounts of new information, allows businesses to prosper, and so much more. We saw the true benefits of high-speed broadband during the pandemic when people worked remotely and conducted business as usual during our nation’s most unpredictable times. Just recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce approved $664 million for New York State to expand broadband to areas where it is currently lacking, also known as the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The goal is to improve affordability and provide broadband at every residence and business in the state by 2030 and expand rural cell-phone coverage every year between 2025 and 2030. A 2021 analysis by the State Comptroller’s Office found that more than 1 million New York households did not have access or a subscription to home broadband services as of 2019. The report also found that New Yorkers aged 65 and older and those with low educational attainment did not have broadband subscriptions — placing these individuals at a disadvantage as they are unable to attain information and resources that are readily available to those with internet access. Consider the educational component alone. If you are a parent, you want what’s best for your child in terms of opportunities. Internet access allows students to have a vast amount of information and resources at their fingertips, it enables students to collaborate with their peers and teachers from different locations, and most importantly, it levels the playing field for students from underprivileged backgrounds, providing them with equal opportunities to learn and succeed. Additionally, a Brookings Institution study found the economic outcomes of investing in broadband cannot be underestimated. Increasing access to broadband infrastructure in rural areas leads to higher property values, increased job and population growth, higher rates of new businesses, and lower unemployment numbers. Broadband expansion also offers access to remote health-care providers and gives people the chance to apply for government assistance, offering those individuals a better quality of life. The Assembly Republican Conference has been in full support of broadband expansion. Last year, Assemblyman Robert Smullen organized five rural-equity forums, which in part focused on growing access to broadband and increasing cell coverage to all parts of our state. From these forums, our conference created the Regional Broadband Expansion and Access Program (A.4686) to decentralize the current “New NY Broadband” process and allow localities to work together and design regionally based plans to ensure internet access to every person in their designated area. As the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new “remote world,” where the economy and our health care/education systems are dependent on a reliable broadband infrastructure. We have seen New Yorkers struggle to attain reliable internet access; our proposal would put the power back in the hands of localities that understand their own regions better than Albany–based state agencies and would increase access to remote-based employment, education, and health services that are a part of the post-pandemic world. Regardless of your location or socioeconomic status, broadband access means more opportunities for New Yorkers; more opportunities for students to succeed, for businesses to prosper, and for our economy to grow. Broadband access is necessary for society to thrive.                        

---

William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.