Governor signs broadband bill in West Tennessee

BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — Getting online could soon get a lot quicker for those who live in rural West Tennessee.

Gov. Bill Haslam made a special stop Tuesday in Brownsville to sign  a bill aimed at bridging the digital divide.

“We love the idea that our rural areas are what makes Tennessee the Tennessee we want to be,” Haslam said.

Hardin County resident Marilee Tice said the bill would benefit a lot of people in her area. She knows many people who currently have a poor internet connection.

“It hinders your way of life,” she said. “Especially with working, or if people have children that are school-aged that have homework and they can’t access the internet.”

Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls said he has always been in favor of the broadband bill.

“It’s going to mean more resources and more money,” he said. “And more expertise and talents coming into West Tennessee, especially Haywood County.”

But most importantly, it would raise the quality of life, Rawls said.

“The people in Brownsville and Haywood County deserve the same quality of life as people in Chattanooga, Nashville, Memphis or Knoxville,” Rawls said. “So this is huge for our community.”

Gov. Haslam told those at the signing ceremony he is focused on making sure growth is spread across the state.

“This is a big day,” he said. “I think that will enable that to happen much quicker across the entire state.”

The Broadband Accessibility Act will provide $45 million in grants and tax credits for service providers to offset the cost of extending broadband access.