Local Man Heads to Washington D.C. in Support of Rural Broadband Internet
By Herb Woerpel| MLive
- Jeff Swainston attempts to gain a wireless signal in the back yard of his New Salem home. Swainston recently joined 125 others in Washington D.C., lobbying in support of rural broadband Internet.
One man’s desire to bring broadband Internet coverage to rural America recently landed him in Washington D.C.
Jeff Swainston, 47, of New Salem, and 125 others recently stormed the nation’s capital as part of the “Broadband WORKS for Rural America” advocacy.
The coalition featured members of the National Grange, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, farmers, ranchers, teachers, small business owners and others from rural communities and small towns across the country. The group met with national leaders, pleading that increased access to high-speed Internet is a critical component of job creation and economic development, and is necessary to ensuring a prosperous future for citizens living in remote or hard-to-reach communities.
“There are approximately 26 million Americans living in areas unserved by broadband capable of originating and receiving high-quality voice, data, graphics and video telecommunications,” said Swainston, legislative director for the Michigan State Grange. “Approximately 654,000 of them live in the state of Michigan.”
