AR 92

Urges Congress to pass “Community Broadband Act.”

AR 92 (DeAngelo, Wirths, Karabinchak) NJEA believes all students must have equitable access to technology. While we have always known there is a digital divide in New Jersey, the quick transition to remote learning last spring brought the issue to the forefront of our conversation around learning.  As school buildings across the state shut their doors, thousands of students lacked devices and broadband access.  Especially at our community colleges, some students had nowhere to complete their work without access to the Internet at their campuses.  Educators and New Jersey residents who relied on libraries and other sources of free WiFi also found themselves unable to easily access the internet.

For education, whether K-12 or beyond, access to the Internet is more important than access to a copper-wire phone line, but our statutory and regulatory framework does not treat it as such.  We need to ensure that all students and educators have that access.  Community broadband would help ease the digital divide. Therefore, NJEA supports urging Congress to pass the “Community Broadband Act of 2019” so that our communities can explore every available option for the provision of broadband Internet service.

NJEA urges you to SUPPORT AR92.