ICYMI: FREE LANCE-STAR - All Virginians deserve reliable internet access

8/17/2020

“We need to treat broadband like a utility”

STAFFORD, VA - Qasim Rashid, father of Stafford County Public School students and Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in VA-01, recently published an op-ed in the Free Lance-Star following his Last Mile Broadband Plan release, last week. 

“We are still in the midst of a global pandemic and now also in back-to-school season. That means we must do everything we can to keep our communities safe” writes Rashid. 

“Our superintendents, schools, teachers, and administrators have gone above and beyond during this unprecedented time to continue to educate our children and maintain a semblance of normalcy. The world underwent a fundamental shift, and they met the moment by doing everything they can to make distance learning both possible and engaging” Rashid continued.

“We need to treat broadband like a utility and streamline the current hodge-podge of government programs in place aimed at providing broadband to the last mile. 

On my first day in office, I would propose legislation to establish a Rural Broadband Expansion Authority with the power to manage every U.S. government grant or subsidy program.” Read the full op-ed here.

You can read Rashid’s full broadband plan here.