As mayor of the self-proclaimed “Gig City” for eight years, Andy Berke frequently touted the virtues of Chattanooga’s publicly-funded high-speed broadband network in enhancing everything from schools to medicine to remote work.
Less than 10 months after leaving his job at Chattanooga’s City Hall, Berke is back promoting the expansion of broadband – on a national stage.
The 53-year-old attorney, former state senator and former mayor joined the U.S. Department of Commerce on Monday as a special representative for broadband.
In his new role at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Berke will work to help states and territories connect, prepare and take advantage of an influx of $48.5 billion in new federal funds to help make broadband more accessible and affordable to underserved communities.
“This is a transformative moment for broadband and one of the most significant moments for telecommunications in our country,” Berke said in a telephone interview shortly after starting his new job. “The president set a really ambitious goal to make sure there is affordable broadband available for everyone, and we have a chance to do what a lot of people have been searching for a long time to create a huge national connection plan state by state and area by area.”