President Biden's infrastructure plan could transform broadband in the U.S.

In 2021, the big show for broadband stimulus will come in the bill that emerges from President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan–the American Jobs Plan. Democratic and Republican lawmakers should be able to find plenty of common ground in the core parts of the bill. Members of both parties are hearing from their constituents about the shortcomings of broadband service now that remote working and schooling have become central parts of life. Other issues will have to be hashed out:

• Define Broadband: Lawmakers will likely disagree on what constitutes adequate broadband service.
• Broadband for All: And regardless of the old infrastructure and slow speeds in those underserved pockets, the service is still expensive and out of reach for many lower-income people. Parties part ways on the question of whether an infrastructure bill should include a direct-to-consumer subsidy to help them afford the service delivered through the upgraded pipes.
• Going Municipal: Even though the government is willing to subsidize the extension of broadband networks into rural or low-income areas, the reality is the owners of those networks may never be able to make the profits in those areas their shareholders want. It’s possible that noncommercial, not-for-profit broadband providers may serve those markets better in the long run. The Biden plan suggests that noncommercial providers such as electric co-ops and local governments may be better suited to the job.