Closing the digital divide one anchor institution at a time.
SHLB Applauds Introduction of SUCCESS Act July 22, 2021
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Alicja Johnson
Communications Manager
ajohnson@shlb.org
(571) 308-6171
Washington, D.C. (July 22, 2021) - Today Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Representative Grace Meng (D-NY) led 40 members of Congress to introduce the Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed (SUCCESS) Act. The bill would extend the Emergency Connectivity Fund by five years and provide $8 billion a year to schools and libraries for student connectivity off-campus.
John Windhausen Jr., executive director of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition made the following statement:
“Even before the coronavirus pandemic, millions of students and library patrons without home broadband were locked out of the 21st century - a problem too complex to solve through temporary programs. SHLB applauds Senators Markey and Van Hollen and Congresswoman Meng for their continued pursuit of a long-term solution to the digital divide with the introduction of the SUCCESS Act today. This new bill provides important multi-year funding for schools and libraries to extend the reach of broadband to their communities. Senators Markey and Van Hollen, Congresswoman Meng, and their co-sponsors are to be commended for recognizing the critical role of anchor institutions in connecting everyone to the internet.”
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About SHLB:
The SHLB Coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-quality broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, D.C. and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations from across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.