Democratic Vice Presidential Pick Kaine Championed Broadband Efforts, Backers Say
Democratic vice presidential contender Tim Kaine, a senator representing Virginia, made many important tech and telecom strides as the state’s governor, said his former technology secretary Aneesh Chopra in a blog post for The Hill Monday. Chopra endorsed the presumptive…
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Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton for president and Kaine for vice president. “To move towards providing universal broadband access to main street businesses, Kaine negotiated with the cable and telecom sector to provide unprecedented transparency on broadband availability down to the address level, which revealed the coverage gaps,” Chopra said. “Coupled with a new Broadband Infrastructure Loan Fund, businesses without access then had the tools to collaborate in their communities to attract internet service providers.” As governor, Kaine convened the state’s Broadband Advisory Council. CTA President Gary Shapiro lauded Kaine’s background, issuing a statement: “Throughout his political career, Senator Kaine has been a supporter of free trade and other issues critical to the technology sector. As governor of Virginia, he supported the expansion of high-speed internet access.” Kaine and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., wrote FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in 2014 calling the digital divide unacceptable and lauding the FCC’s rural broadband trials. Kaine isn't a member of the Commerce or Judiciary committees and typically hasn't weighed in on FCC actions.