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We are pressing for improved telecommunications

All residents of the Shenandoah Valley know that the Centurylink broadband service, where it exists, is woefully inadequate and cellphone service is practically non-existent. In some cases these conditions combine to present a challenge to people wanting to work from home, not to mention those whose health depends on consistent access to data transfer.

First, we know that children in households with broadband access have better educational and career success – even when you consider all other factors. The kids in your community deserve just as good a shot at success as any other kids around Virginia.

Second, this infrastructure is as critical to modern life today as electrification and indoor plumbing have been for the past century. High-speed internet is essential to local economies, whether it be agriculture, forestry, or home-based small businesses. Businesses need high-speed access to the internet, and that increasingly means access at their employees’ homes as well as at the workplace. Local economies benefit from access to quality broadband coverage and high-speed internet is bringing access to telemedicine and online education opportunities.

Finally, participation in modern American civic, economic, and social life requires that all of us be able to have the same opportunity to access voting information, local public notices, email, online marketplaces, and other modern communication tools as easily as do those who have good broadband connections. Your community deserves to have the same quality of life as connected communities.