Just days before President Biden signed the landmark bipartisan infrastructure law, with a historic $65 billion investment in broadband, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urged her home state to use the money wisely.
With more than 97% of Rhode Islanders already having high-speed broadband on their doorsteps, Raimondo warned that states like Rhode Island should “not spend this money overbuilding” because their needs “will be more around affordability.”
As a fiscally savvy former Governor, Raimondo knows what she’s talking about. The Ocean State’s officials should follow her lead as they decide how to use Rhode Island’s $108 million in broadband funds from the infrastructure program. We must not “overbuild” what we don’t need – meaning we don’t need to build duplicative broadband networks where they already exist — while under-investing in what we urgently need — assistance for folks who can’t afford internet service.
