Verizon will help Project Kuiper by expanding its LTE and 5G data networks using cellular backhaul solutions. In addition, the companies will work together to define technical requirements to help extend fixed wireless coverage to rural and remote communities. The LEO satellite system will serve individual households, as well as schools, hospitals, businesses, and other organizations operating in places where internet access is limited or unavailable. Companies have been prioritizing broadband internet access in recent years, and Verizon has previously partnered with the Federal Communications Commission along with AT&T, Comcast, and T-Mobile for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. The program allows eligible Americans to sign up for monthly broadband discounts and help close the growing digital divide. Equal access to broadband networks is increasingly becoming an issue in the US. The FCC estimates that more than 21 million people in the United States lack a broadband connection, including nearly three in 10 (or 27%) in rural areas.
