Sens. Bennet and Budd Introduce Legislation to Connect More Rural Communities to High-Speed Internet

Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the Connecting Our Neighbors to Networks and Ensuring Competitive Telecommunications (CONNECT) Act of 2023 to reform the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ReConnect Loan and Grant Program. The CONNECT Act makes it easier for small providers to apply to this program, and ensures federal funding reaches rural communities faster by shortening required permitting deadlines. Millions of rural Americans continue to lack adequate access to the internet, where the costs of connection can be high and existing service too slow or expensive to be of much use. While the ReConnect Loan and Grant program provides broadband funding for eligible rural areas, the application process can be complicated and prohibitively expensive for small providers. Specifically, the CONNECT Act would:

• Establish an Office of Technical Assistance to aid eligible providers with application forms;
• Create a Mini-Grant Program offering grants up to $20,000 for small providers;
• Prioritize applications from local governments, nonprofit organizations, or cooperatives;
• Designate rural areas that receive broadband service via non-wireline technology as eligible for ReConnect funding;
• Shorten certain permitting deadlines for USDA-funded broadband projects from 270 to 180 days;
• Create an interagency Broadband Council to recommend uniform speed and application requirements for federal programs; and
• Expand federal easements for certain electric utilities to enable them to lease existing fiber capacity.