Laura Castro Lindarte reports at Capitol Confidential that 70 members of the House of Representatives sent the President a letter requesting rural broadband be funded in his forthcoming infrastructure proposal. Locally, Republican Elise Stefanik and Democrat Paul D. Tonko, who both represent areas just north of the WGXC listening area, signed the letter, but John Faso (R-Kinderhook) did not. "Many rural areas in the country – including upstate New York – do not have a good broadband infrastructure, increasing the technological divide between urban and rural America," the letter said. “In the 21st Century, high-speed internet access is no longer a luxury amenity, but rather an essential service for homes and business in this interconnected world." Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times-Union blog.