ST. PAUL, MN – The following is a statement from Lt. Governor Tina Smith on the House Republican broadband internet access proposals
“The Governor and I welcome the work of House Republicans on broadband. Their proposals, however, barely make a dent in the need for high-speed, affordable broadband access in Greater Minnesota. At the level of investment they are proposing, the 244,000 households in Greater Minnesota without broadband connections will wait decades to get up to speed. This is bad for our economy, bad for Greater Minnesota, and we need to do better.
“We have proposed $100 million in grants, matched by private carriers and local partners, which will significantly increase access to high-speed, affordable broadband in Greater Minnesota starting this year. We look forward to a productive conversation with Legislators. Minnesotans expect us to make real progress on broadband this year.” 