Biden’s Broadband Investment Creates Jobs for CWAers

With a population of just under seven thousand people, Boonville, Ind., may not seem like a likely tech hub. However, thanks to broadband investment allocated under the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), more than half of the residents and businesses of Boonville are now connected to the internet via high-speed fiber optic cable.

“Everyone here was stuck using dial-up,” said CWA Local 4700 President Dave Reddick. “This fiber optic cable is a lifeline for students, business owners, and local government agencies. This will allow people in rural communities to be able to run their lives, families, and businesses staying up to date with the rest of the world.”

Reddick went on to say that many CWA members have done work connecting fiber optic cable from public infrastructure to homes and businesses. Other CWA workers have been employed by the internet providers in call centers to handle the demand, which has been high.

“The numbers might not be huge like some cities,” said Reddick, “but, percentage-wise, this might be the most wired town in the country.”

CWA Local 4700 plans to continue the optimization of Boonville and other towns in the area.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.