President Biden is heading to North Carolina on Thursday to announce $82 million in new investments to connect homes and businesses in the state to high-speed internet.

He will go to the Raleigh-Durham area in the critical battleground state to make the announcement, alongside Gov. Roy Cooper (D). The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which was the COVID-19 relief package Biden signed into law in 2021, and aims to connect an additional 16,000 homes and businesses in North Carolina.

The investment, according to a fact sheet from the White House, will also create jobs in manufacturing and construction to produce “Made-in-America fiber-optic cable that will build out internet infrastructure across the country.”

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Why he’s doing this:

    Former President Trump beat Biden for North Carolina in 2020. Trump also won the state in the 2016 election, beating former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

    All this stuff coming out now is just token measures to make it look like he’s helping people so they vote for him.

    And sure, they’re better off than if nothing was done, but it’s going to be obvious for voters they’re only getting attention because an election is coming up.

    Trying to help them the whole term and not just pre election would get a lot more votes, and help a lot more people.

    But would be a bigger hit to donors pocketbooks.

    The article is light on details too, so I suspect most of this money is going to telecoms again for them to run the fiber, and like every other time we’ve given them money, they’ll likely just keep it and not do anything

    • SinningStromgald@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      The article is light on details too, so I suspect most of this money is going to telecoms again for them to run the fiber, and like every other time we’ve given them money, **they’ll likely just keep it and not do anything **

      That is the real problem, the government throwing money at Telcos and expecting them to do something other than line their bottom line.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        A cynic would say Biden knows this and is trying to get in with giant telecos and trick voters.

        Although it would be even worse if he legitimately expects them to go or their end.

        Considering Biden legitimately ran his last primary on his ability to cooperate with Republicans…

        There’s a pretty good chance he’s not smart enough to see this coming. If he is, then he’s still just lying and doesn’t see an issue with that.