Iowa lawmakers OK broadband expansion plan

Iowa state legislative leaders reached agreement on a plan to expand broadband service in Iowa that's been a top priority of Gov Terry Branstad (R-IA). House File 655 was approved by the Iowa Senate on a 48-2 vote and was sent to the House, where it passed 82-12. The goal is to provide high-speed Internet service to underserved areas in Iowa, particularly in rural communities.

State Sen. Steve Sodders (D-State Center), said the Senate agreed to support a version of a bill approved by the House earlier this session that provides property tax abatements to companies installing equipment to build out the broadband infrastructure. The measure also provides a framework for a grants program, but there is no state appropriation to fund it, he said. The idea is to fund the grants program in the future with state, federal or private money to provide an incentive for companies to expand broadband service, State Sen Sodders said. The bill defines high-speed Internet service as offering a minimum of 25 megabits per second for downloads and 3 megabits per second for uploads.