SUNSET, La. (KLFY) — The White House has confirmed that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will be in Sunset, La., this Friday, Feb. 25, to highlight investments in “affordable, accessible high-speed internet” in rural communities.
An itinerary has not been released, though Harris and Raimondo are expected to fly into Lafayette before driving to Sunset in St. Landry Parish. Gov. John Bel Edwards has confirmed that he will be joining them.
The Daily Advertiser reports that the visit will highlight investments in high-speed internet through the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Act, which includes $65 billion to expand broadband into rural communities.
According to the White House, more than 30 million Americans live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure that provides “minimally acceptable speeds – a particular problem in rural communities throughout the country. And, according to the latest OECD data, among 35 countries studied, the United States has the second highest broadband costs.”