Blackburn believes broadband deployment to rural and other underserved areas should be left to the market

Even though she has constituents in her congressional district who want broadband but can't get it, Rep Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) suggested Thursday that government should have little to no role in stimulating broadband deployment. If more people in rural areas demand broadband, a provider will bring it to them, Rep Blackburn said. "That is where I think we do let the market handle the job," she said. "I fully believe that the market can work this out." She criticized the broadband money in the stimulus law, saying it came with too many strings attached. More than half of the money includes net-neutrality regulations prohibiting companies receiving broadband grants from discriminating against some Internet traffic and from refusing to connect with other providers. New Network Neutrality regulations, supported by President Barack Obama, could slow deployment and inhibit broadband competition in the long run, she said. She called the policy "short-sighted."