NCTA and the Washington Post Live recently partnered for a special screening of the new documentary, “Every Last Mile.” The film chronicles the untold story of connecting rural America, following three broadband construction crews as they overcome obstacles to tackle the monumental challenge of ensuring every American, regardless of where they live, has access to digital infrastructure and the opportunities it brings.
The screening was followed by a roundtable discussion with Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator Andrew Berke and Virginia’s broadband office director Tamarah Holmes, and moderated by Leigh Ann Caldwell, anchor at Washington Post Live.
The discussion covered the significant obstacles internet service providers face in building out broadband in remote areas, including challenging topography, financial constraints, and the need for coordination between multiple stakeholders. Administrator Berke underscored that these efforts are worth the investment because the benefits—improved education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and overall quality of life—are transformative.
“As I go around the country and look at these places, you know, there's a different world coming for rural America, right, because in 2024, it is more possible than ever to live in the place that you love and work the job that you need. And we just haven't had that before. But if you have the right internet connection, you can do both of those things at the same time,” said Administrator Berke. “And so that allows rural America to have a different place than it's had over the last couple of decades and potentially to grow and expand and become more engaged in commerce in a way that we haven't seen in a long time.”
Dr. Holmes and Administrator Berke also spoke about the unprecedented national effort to expand internet access to unconnected Americans, which coincides with the premiere of “Every Last Mile.” The “Internet for All” initiative includes the historic allocation of $42.45 billion in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funds, set to be distributed to states this year. This funding complements the $2.1 trillion in private capital invested since 1996 to build and upgrade America’s broadband networks.
Watch “Every Last Mile” and the panel discussion and see what it takes to deploy this critical infrastructure, or read a transcript of the event.