Representative Nunn, Bipartisan Members Introduce Bill To Improve Rural Broadband Access

Rep Zach Nunn (R-IA) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve access to high-quality, affordable broadband in rural communities. The ReConnecting Rural America Act—cosponsored by Reps Angie Craig (D-MN), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Eric Sorensen (D-IL)—makes improvements to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect Program, which offers loans, grants, and loan-grant combinations facilitating broadband deployment in areas of rural America that currently do not have sufficient access to broadband. The ReConnecting Rural America Act strengthens the USDA ReConnect Program by: 

• Making the ReConnect Program permanent;
• Authorizing the USDA to make loans, grants, and grant-loan combinations for the construction and improvement of equipment and facilities to provide broadband;
• Establishing requirements for faster, more reliable internet at a 100/100 Mbps symmetrical buildout speed;
• Prioritizing communities with the greatest need for increased speeds by defining unserved communities as at least 75 percent of households unserved at 100/20 mbps speed and prioritizing awards to areas in which at least 90 percent of households lack 100/20 mbps speed;
• Ensuring the program can keep up with the increase in demand by including sufficient funding authorization levels.