Remarks by Vice President Harris on Expanding Affordable High-Speech Internet Nationwide

Benedict College
Columbia, South Carolina

1:16 P.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Excellent afternoon, anyone.  Excellent afternoon.  It is so great to be back in South Carolina.

Thank you, Dr. Monica Adams, soror, for that introduction and — and for your operate.  Your get the job done is just extraordinary.  We have been conversing about her vision not only for the long run of education but for the long term of our nation, and that future remaining captured in these vivid youthful people that she is nurturing and investing in for the sake of all of our reward.  So, I thank you for that introduction.

And it is good to be right here, Mayor — where are you? – Rickenmann.  Thank you for the warm welcome this afternoon.  You greeted me on the tarmac.  I recognize that and your leadership here.

And to our president of Benedict School, Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis — (applause) — it is great to be with you yet again and with all these bright, younger leaders.  Thank you for all that you do.

And, of training course, it is a distinctive honor to be listed here nowadays with the fantastic Assistant Chief Jim Clyburn. (Applause.)  So, I really do not want to inform you, but he is a winner not only for the persons of this condition, but he is a nationwide chief on so numerous challenges — on the challenges of poverty and civil legal rights and voting.  And, of training course, a chief on the concern that brings us listed here with each other right now: substantial-velocity World wide web. 

For a long time, Assistant Chief Clyburn has been combating on this concern to link people with large-speed World wide web.  I’m telling you, when I was in the Senate — I was a United States senator for 4 a long time — nearly every conversation I had with him was about superior-pace Net — (laughs) — and the need to have for people to phase up and sign up for him in his purpose of management.

And, in particular, of training course, his function also was on the Property Rural Broadband Job Power in the United States Congress.

So, Assistant Leader Clyburn, I thank you for inspiring and urging us as a country to seize your eyesight for the people of The united states and for all you have done for our administration and our nation.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

So, now, I will get started with a basic truth of the matter, which you’ve listened to spoken on this phase now: In America, in the 21st century, the ability to hook up to significant-pace Web is not a luxurious.  It is a standard necessity.

Each day, in communities across our country, students who have cost-effective accessibility use the Online to do their research.  Mothers and fathers use the Web to buy groceries.  Seniors use the Internet to see a medical professional without possessing to leave household.  And small-enterprise proprietors use the Internet to purchase inventory, to control the payroll, even to operate their money sign up.  The Online is an important aspect of day to day modern day lifetime.

And however, extra than 24 million American households nonetheless do not have Internet access, together with 137,000 people appropriate right here in South Carolina, both simply because they can not afford to pay for the expense of significant-pace Online or mainly because they live in a local community, normally a rural community, where higher-velocity Net is just not readily available.

So, about the a long time, numerous of you know, I have invested a great deal of time in South Carolina.  I have traveled from the Upstate to the Midlands, from Pee Dee to the Lowcountry.  And I have satisfied with people in rural communities like St. George and Darlington and Hemingway.  And I have heard so lots of stories about what it implies when folks do not have World-wide-web.  

Students who have to sit in the parking whole lot of a quickly-food stuff cafe just to be ready to submit their research on community Wi-Fi. 

Mothers and fathers who can’t consider on superior-shelling out, distant work employment simply because their Online is just way too slow. 

Seniors who have to take their telemedicine check out in the corner of a community library for the reason that they never have a link in the privateness of their individual dwelling.

Enable us be distinct: In The us, in the 21st century, each and every individual, no subject the place they dwell and no make a difference how significantly they receive, ought to have superior-velocity Online.  It is merely a necessity.  (Applause.)

So that is why, building on the Obtainable, Cost-effective Net for All Act, created by Assistant Leader Clyburn and guided by his incredible eyesight, our administration invested
an historic $65 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation to link every household in The united states with economical and available large-pace Web.  (Applause.)

Now, for emphasis: economical and available.  Both of those.  Mainly because one particular does not work without the other. 

And so, now, we have begun do the job to build infrastructure in far more than 300 communities to build thousands of miles of fiber-optic lines that deliver higher-velocity Net.

Destinations exactly where I’ve been, like Orangeburg and Chester.  Places in which we have linked 1000’s of farms and churches and faculties and little firms with superior-velocity Internet for the very to start with time.  And the vast majority of these 300 communities are rural.

Now, assume about it.  In addition to all the gain that will come from that, all of this perform also generates careers — superior-shelling out work opportunities.  Work opportunities for electric staff who set up the fiber-optic cables.  Positions for professionals who will repair service and replace those lines for decades to occur.

Which delivers me then to the affordability situation. 

As Mr. Clyburn stated just a couple minutes in the past — when we took office environment, we established something identified as the Inexpensive Connectivity Method, or the ACP.  Just about every thirty day period, this method offers much more than 16 million operating households a $30 price reduction on their World-wide-web monthly bill.  Eight hundred thousand households in South Carolina are qualified.

And due to the fact we labored with Internet service providers to make positive they provide designs for $30 or a lot less for each thirty day period, with a $30 discounted, a bulk of these homes can access World-wide-web for zero dollars a thirty day period.

That means, each and every month, families throughout our nation
have additional money in their pocket to pay out for groceries and college supplies and residence repairs.

And nationally, every single thirty day period, this method will save Americans far more than fifty percent a billion bucks.  Feel about that.  (Applause.)

By means of this household, we also — via this method, recognized — in this household of networks that folks who are doing work on it — recognized, “Okay, so that’s excellent.  So we’re going to now verify off the affordability challenge and the access situation.  But how am I heading to get on the Internet?”  Right?

And so which is in which we intended into the application a one particular-time lower price of up to $100 for families to invest in a laptop or a desktop computer system or a tablet.  Because, of course, an Net link is not a lot excellent if you really do not have the technological know-how to get on line.

So I want to just now do a community assistance announcement, and I want all the leaders in this article to enable me.  All right? 

To check out if you qualify for the ACP — search at your neighbor — (laughs) — to check if you qualify, go to GetInternet.gov.  To look at if you qualify, go to Internet.gov [GetInternet.gov].

As element of this function, we are also investing to link our nation’s HBCUs. 

So I say that as a happy graduate of an HBCU.  (Applause.)  Of course. 

So I know, firsthand, our HBCUs are facilities of academic excellence.  Educational excellence.  HBCU students are leaders in their communities, in our nation, in and about the environment.  As are learners of all minority-serving faculties and universities.

So let us make sure, then, that these leaders — these youthful leaders can improve their education.  So, right now, we are investing far more than $175 million to expand high-speed Online obtain and affordability at 61 HBCUs and minority-serving institutions.  (Applause.)  Mainly because we have to be intentional. We have to be intentional.  And quite a few of all those that we have targeted on at the moment do not have dependable accessibility to significant-speed Web on campus. 

So, for South Carolina, as an instance, we are investing approximately $3 million in Claflin College — (applause) — and $3 million in Benedict Higher education.  (Applause.)  And this means that more students will be capable to use the World wide web for their day to day demands.  Feel about it.  Like accessing telehealth appointments, which include for mental well being treatment. 

Because here’s the advantage.  I was speaking to some of the youthful leaders ahead of we came out.  Here’s the reward.  On the challenge of mental health and fitness care, let us be very clear.  When we speak about healthcare, health care doesn’t just get started from the neck down.  And so, let’s admit that we require to make certain all people has entry to the complete healthcare they have to have.  But let us also acknowledge that some people don’t automatically want to be noticed going for walks into the therapist’s business.  Alright?

 But what does telehealth for Medicare suggest?  For clinical treatment that’s mental health treatment, it implies: In the privateness of your dorm room or your residence or even possibly your automobile, you can speak with any person that gives you the support that you will need.

Think about all that accessibility and affordability will open up up in phrases of certainly offering individuals the capability and the option to have the assist they want.

And for the reason that of the investments that we’re speaking about today, the educational facilities that I talked about and so several many others will also be ready to expand their notebook financial loan application and update and update campus Wi-Fi so that, listed here at Benedict, when students are waiting for the Comet bus, they can open their laptop computer and continue to keep researching for their chemistry midterm. 

And mainly because of this financial investment, this school will be in a position to also produce a group computer system lab so that our youngest learners, including people at Carver-Lyon Elementary where Dr. Adams is effective, will be able to have entry and get on the net way too.

So, South Carolina, for so several people today of just about every technology, these investments [sic] — these investments will be transformative.

Mainly because we know when we link folks with high-speed Online, we connect them with opportunity — the chance to get an instruction, to educate for a new occupation, to create a business enterprise, and to see a doctor.  We give folks the electricity to create — for our collective reward — much healthier, happier, and additional affluent life for on their own and for the people they appreciate.

Together, this will assistance make our place a put the place all persons, no issue the place they dwell, can prosper.

So, thank you all yet again for your leadership, for your perform, and for every thing you do.

May perhaps God bless you.  And might God bless The usa.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)

                          END                 1:30 P.M. EST