Winnemucca, Nev. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) visited Eureka, Humboldt, and Lander counties and met with Lander County officials. In the afternoon, Cortez Masto hosted a roundtable in Winnemucca where local business owners, telecom industry representatives, public safety officials and state and local leaders discussed the importance of broadband access for rural communities.
“Today, I heard from Nevadans in Eureka, Humboldt and Lander counties about their needs for federal support in fostering economic growth and challenges dealing with government bureaucracy. All across the state, I’ve heard about the importance of cooperation between state and federal agencies to create good paying jobs and foster increased access to reliable broadband to assist rural residents in accessing education, healthcare and strengthening our rural economies and public safety.
“At my roundtable in Winnemucca, local entrepreneurs, public safety officials, educators and community leaders stressed that access to reliable internet service is essential in the 21st century, for small businesses, for education, for keeping in touch with loved ones. All Nevadans should have equal access to the services, resources, and economic opportunities they need to thrive. I’m proud to be fighting in the Senate for increased funding for broadband development in rural Nevada, and I will continue to work on bipartisan solutions that support all of our rural communities.”
Background:
Senator Cortez Masto is the sponsor and cosponsor of numerous bipartisan bills to help increase broadband access for rural communities. She is an original sponsor of the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, which would establish a single point of contact office to streamline management and oversight of federal broadband resources across multiple agencies. She is also a cosponsor of the SPEED Act, which would streamline permitting processes to help enable efficient deployment of broadband infrastructure.