Qasim Rashid Debuts the Last Mile Broadband Plan

8/12/2020

“Today, connectivity matters as much to daily life as electricity and clean water”

STAFFORD, VA - Qasim Rashid, Democratic candidate for Virginia’s First Congressional District, today debuted his broadband internet policy, the Last Mile Broadband Plan. “This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue,” he said in a statement. “It’s much bigger than party or ideological persuasion. Right now, for public health and safety, we must be able to rely on the internet.” 

“It’s about people’s human rights and providing folks with an equal playing field,” said Ayodele Okeowo, Campaign Manager. “Qasim is a human rights lawyer, and this is a human rights issue.” 

“During this pandemic, the safest way to remain connected is by meeting online,” said Rashid. “This is true for our schools and our loved ones, our workplaces and our healthcare providers. However, this approach is not possible for everyone. Slow download speeds and unreliable satellite internet, especially in rural parts of our district, are an injustice that we must fix”

“This issue has been a problem that our district has been facing for as long as I’ve lived here,” added Rashid. “Even before the pandemic, I remember seeing students doing their homework in McDonald’s parking lots.”

Rashid closed his policy announcement with a bold call to action. “The choice is clear: to fill future jobs and to support present jobs, to keep people connected and to keep people safe, to build a better and more sustainable future, we must act urgently to bring people online. And we can achieve this by using the federal government to empower state and local governments to provide internet access as a public utility.”

You can read the full plan here as well as a blog post by Rashid about the plan here.