You can find a PDF of this press release here.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brittany-Rae Gregory
brittany-rae@nextcenturycities.org
February 28, 2022

Washington, D.C. (February 28, 2022) – Today, Next Century Cities sent letters to governors in each state in support of a renewed commitment to bringing broadband within reach for every resident enabled by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”). The letters emphasize the importance of state outreach and collaboration with local governments. The Next Century Cities’ February 2022 Newsletter and blog post offer details on the letter-writing campaign with individual hyperlinks to letters for each state. 

Corian Zacher, Senior Policy Counsel at Next Century Cities, offered the following remarks: 

“The last two decades have shown that funding alone is not enough to ensure that everyone living in the United States has the tools and service they need to experience the wealth of benefits that broadband connectivity offers. Local governments nationwide have worked tirelessly to connect their residents and businesses, in many cases without federal and state support. Too many communities that remain disconnected have long lacked the resources to bring their broadband goals to life. IIJA grants funds that will be distributed via states could make a world of difference.

“Centralizing local strategies through state broadband programs offers a tremendous opportunity to ensure that Congress’ historic investment in digital infrastructure pays dividends for decades into the future. Bringing reliable, affordable, high-quality Internet within reach for households requires a collective effort, and local governments are integral to achieving ubiquitous broadband goals.”

This week, Next Century Cities also welcomed Brian Donoghue to the team as our Deputy Director. Brian, who is based in Indiana, comes to NCC as previous Director of Civic Innovation for the City of South Bend. In his new role, Donoghue seeks to help local and state leaders prepare more inclusive broadband strategies and equip them to compete for federal funding. Additionally, he looks forward to working with the NCC team and the group of passionate advocates to facilitate the state and local policy change required to help permanently close the digital divide. Learn more about Brian’s background, broadband advocacy work, and goals for NCC here. 

Looking ahead, Next Century Cities will kick off a series of in-person Regional Convenings starting in South Bend, Indiana, on March 3, 2022. Local, state, and federal leaders will come together to identify community-based connectivity needs that should be addressed by the influx of federal and state broadband funding opportunities. Join us in person or online.

The full agenda is available here, and community leaders can register here. Area leaders that would like to attend in person, but face cost prohibitions, should reach out to NCC’s Executive Director, Francella Ochillo, at francella@nextcenturycities.org for assistance with travel and lodging. 

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