The House Energy & Commerce Committee said it will hold a rural broadband field hearing Feb. 20.
The hearing will be hosted by Democratic Virginia Reps. Donald McEachen and Abigail Spanberger. The hearing is being held in Washington suburban Prince Georges County, Va.
According to McEachen's office, the hearing will feature local officials, broadband advocates and community leaders talking about federal solutions to closing the rural digital divide.
The hearing will come only days after the FCC announced an additional $240 million in rural broadband subsidies.
"The problems we face in Washington working to ensure every community has access to the high-speed internet needed to grow small businesses and create good-paying jobs are complex," said McEachen. "However, Virginia’s Fourth District is already implementing viable solutions. I am very much looking forward to hearing more from rural broadband experts and stakeholders from Prince George County whose transformative story—from limited broadband access to gigabyte-speed fiber—offers a successful blueprint for underserved communities throughout the country.”
"Across Central Virginia’s rural communities, a lack of high-speed internet access creates a digital divide that leaves working families, students, and businesses at a competitive disadvantage,” said Rep. Spanberger.
