TO MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS:
As Congress debates an infrastructure program, the business community urges you to enhance America’s digital infrastructure and achieve the goal of connecting all Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how critically important it is for all Americans, including healthcare providers, students, and government to embrace digital tools. The internet has helped keep the “digital lights” on for small business struggling during the pandemic.
The pandemic also brought to light gaps in the nation’s digital infrastructure. Although the nation’s private-sector networks led the world in connectivity during the height of the pandemic, the last year demonstrated that too many Americans lack access to high-speed connectivity. Government information technology systems, which many Americans had to rely on for pandemic assistance, crashed because they were woefully outdated.
As Congress considers an infrastructure package this summer, we urge you to take the following steps in modernizing digital infrastructure.
- Embrace Public-Private Partnerships to Deploy Broadband: America’s private sector has built out the world’s largest and most advanced communications infrastructure in the world. Congress should direct funding to build broadband networks to areas of the country that lack access to broadband as defined by the FCC as 25Mbps/3 Mbps. America’s connectivity strategy should embrace the nation’s advantage, the private sector, and avoid government-operated networks.
- Address Connectivity Affordability the Right Way: COVID-19 impacted millions of Americans ability to pay for essential services. Congress has already taken temporary steps to help Americans pay for broadband through programs like the Emergency Broadband Benefit. In order to address long-term affordability for those in need, Congress should undertake steps to modernize existing programs like Lifeline as opposed to pricing and technology mandates.
- Modernize Federal, State, and Local Government IT: Government information technology is infrastructure. Unfortunately, too many government IT systems are woefully outdated and delaying economic growth. For example, many states continue to rely on 1950s era technology to address 21st century challenges like COVID-19 and post-pandemic recovery. State government benefits systems crashed trying to deliver needed assistance during the pandemic and agencies continue to use paper tracking for pandemic and vaccine tracking. Government must first and foremost work to modernize its own systems with assistance from private-sector solutions.
Investing in our digital infrastructure will enable the United States to better compete internationally, promote post-pandemic economic growth, and better prepare for emerging challenges.
Signed,
Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce
Adrian Area and Tecumseh Area Chamber of Commerce
Alamo Chamber of Commerce
Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce
Armenian American Chamber of Commerce
Aspire Johnson County
Association of Washington Business
Aurora Chamber of Commerce
Austin Chamber of Commerce
Bandon Chamber of Commerce
Basalt Chamber of Commerce
Bay Area Council
Beaumont Community Chamber of Commerce
Beaver County Chamber of Commerce
Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce
Bend Chamber of Commerce
Berkeley Chamber of Commerce
Billings Chamber of Commerce
Boardman Chamber of Commerce
Boise Metro Chamber
Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB
Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce
Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce
CalChamber
Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce
Capital Region Chamber
Carroll County Chamber of Commerce
Carson City Chamber of Commerce
Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance
Chamber of Commerce Hawaii
Chamber630
Chandler Chamber of Commerce
Chester County Chamber of Business & industry
Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce
Coastal Alabama Business Chamber
Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce
Commerce Lexington Inc.
Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc.
Corning Area Chamber of Commerce
Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce
Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce
Davis Chamber of Commerce
Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce
El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce
Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce
Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership
Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce
Evanston Chamber of Commerce
Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce
Fayette Chamber of Commerce
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce
Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce
Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce
Fremont Chamber of Commerce (CA)
Fresno Chamber of Commerce
Fulshear Area Chamber of Commerce
Gateway Chambers Alliance
Georgetown Chamber of Commerce
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
GLMV Chamber of Commerce
Grayson County Chamber of Commerce
Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce
Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce
Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce
Greater Houston Partnership
Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce
Greater Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce
Greater Louisville Inc. - The Metro Chamber of Commerce
Greater North Dakota Chamber
Greater Phoenix Chamber
Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce
Greater Reading Chamber Alliance
Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce
Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce
Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce
Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce
Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce
Hillsboro Chamber
Howard County Chamber
Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce
Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Kapolei Chamber of Commerce
La Mesa Chamber of Commerce
La Verne Chamber of Commerce
Lake County Chamber of Commerce
Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce
Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce
Lakeland Chamber of Commerce
Lancaster (PA) Chamber
Laughlin Nevada Chamber of Commerce
Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce
Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce
Logan County Chamber of Commerce
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce
Lubbock Chamber of Commerce
Main Line Chamber of Commerce
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Mason City Area Chamber of Commerce
McDowell Chamber of Commerce
Mesquite NV Chamber of Commerce
Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Minneapolis Regional Chamber
Moore County Chamber of Commerce
Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce
National City Chamber of Commerce
New Mexico Chamber of Commerce
NJ State Chamber of Commerce
Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce
North Country Chamber of Commerce
North Orange County Chamber
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Norwalk Chamber of Commerce
Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Odessa Chamber of Commerce (TX)
Olney Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
Orange County Business Council
Oregon Business & Industry
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Overland Park Chamber of Commerce
Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association
Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce
Portland Business Alliance
Poteau Chamber of Commerce
Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce
Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce
Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce
Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism
Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce
Richardson Chamber of Commerce
Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce
Rio Grande Valley Partnership
Russell County Chamber of Commerce
Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Salem Area Chamber of Commerce
Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
San Marcos Chamber of Commerce
San Mateo Chamber of Commerce
San Pedro Chamber of Commerce
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau
Seward County Chamber & Development Partnership
Shawnee Forward
Shelton-Mason County Chamber
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Silverdale Chamber of Commerce
South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce
South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
South Tampa Chamber of Commerce
South West Communities Chamber
Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance
Springerville-Eagar Regional Chamber of Commerce
St. George Area Chamber of Commerce
Steamboat Springs Chamber
Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce
Superior Chamber of Commerce
Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce
Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce
Texas Association of Business
The Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Medford & Jackson County
The Chamber Southwest Louisiana
The State Chamber of Oklahoma
The Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce
Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce
Trotwood Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Metro Chamber
Vallejo Chamber of Commerce
Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA)
Vegas Chamber
Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce
Vista Chamber of Commerce
Walnut Creek Chamber o Commerce & Visitor Bureau
Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce
West Valley Chamber of Commerce Alliance
Westville Area Chamber of Commerce
Yuma County Chamber of Commerce
