Help may be on the way to the millions of Americans without broadband internet access.

Earlier today, Vice President Joe Biden announced a $4.7 billion initiative to develop the necessary infrastructure to deliver broadband to areas with limited or no access. Biden, joined by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper, made the announcement at Seneca High School in northwest Pennsylvania.

Broadband, the Vice President said, is becoming increasingly vital in today’s society.

“The bottom line is, you can’t function — a nation can’t compete in the 21st century — without an immediate, high-quality access for everything from streaming video to information overline,” Biden said.

The $4.7 billion for the project comes from the $7.2 billion allocated in the federal stimulus package to improve rural Internet access. The remaining $2.5 billion will be used for deploying broadband to underserved areas

Many areas of Wisconsin still do not have access to broadband internet. This impedes the free flow of information, hinders economic growth, and stalls the effective use of resources and connections within the state. Wired Wisconsin will work to promote policies that encourage competition between broadband providers to offer more service opportunities statewide.