WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the newest edition of the Clyburn Chronicles podcast with Jim Stritzinger, Director of the South Carolina Broadband Office. Director Stritzinger joined Congressman Clyburn to discuss his role and efforts to expand highspeed affordable internet to every corner of the state.
In 2023, millions of Americans still lack a reliable, high-speed connection at home. Efforts to deploy affordable, high-speed internet service is the modern equivalent of rural electrification in the 20th century in both complexity and importance.
“There are plenty of people who say that is too expensive to put internet on county roads and that ‘those people’ will never use it…we are going to prove them wrong,” said Director Stritzinger. “The internet provides the foundation for all those things we hold special. We can lift up school teachers, we can lift up agricultural professionals, we can do research and development, we can make entrepreneurship happen…the internet is as important to daily life as electricity was back in the 1930s.”
Efforts to make highspeed broadband affordable for low-income households have been made possible through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which was established and funded in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“ACP is a place where qualifying families can get $30 a month towards their monthly internet bill. It’s been extremely successful in South Carolina…it makes me sick to my stomach to think about a child that has a beautiful, fully-functional device and they go home and they have no connectivity That’s where we’re leaving brilliant minds behind. We’re fixing it rapidly, though, I’ll be happy to share that we’ve made incredible progress,” Director Stritzinger continued.
“South Carolina is leading the way in this all-important broadband deployment,” said Congressman Clyburn. “The gentleman that we have here today is the one that is responsible.”
To hear the conversation, please click here.
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