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Vice president urges Noem to help SD residents gain access to affordable internet service

Vice President Kamala Harris
White House
Vice President Kamala Harris

A federal program to help low-income households afford broadband internet has enrolled 11,069 South Dakota households.

The American Connectivity Program
allows eligible households to reduce their internet service costs by up to $30 a month, or $75 a month on tribal lands.

Vice President Kamala Harris is sending a letter to Gov. Kristi Noem urging her to help accelerate enrollment in the state. The administration has launched aGetInternet.gov, a one-stop-shop where Americans can check their eligibility, find a plan that meets their needs, and sign up.

"We need your help to keep that progress going and to ensure all eligible families in South Dakota sign up to save," Harris writes in the letter to Noem. "Please help lower costs for more families by spreading the word in your state and by entering data-matching agreements to drive enrollment in your state."

During President Biden’s 2021 joint address to Congress, he asked Harris to lead the administration’s efforts on increasing access to high-speed internet and ensuring it was included in what later became the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Following the joint address, Harris traveled the country to meet with Americans, experts, lawmakers and others to make the case for closing the digital divide.

Megan hosts All Things Considered and the SDPB News podcast.