SHLB’s 2020 Policy Roadmap Calls for Strengthening Broadband Programs

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition released its 2020 Policy Roadmap, outlining the path forward for community anchor institution (CAI) broadband. Schools, libraries, healthcare providers, and other CAIs rely on high-quality broadband to provide essential services to their communities. It is imperative that policymakers, industry, and anchor institutions collaborate to connect all CAIs to affordable, gigabit broadband – a key step in closing the digital divide. The SHLB Coalition will pursue the following policy priorities in 2020:

• Increase funding and improve administration of the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Health Care Program. SHLB will work with the FCC and Congress to provide sufficient funding and improve administrative processes to encourage more health clinics to participate in the program, thereby improving the quality of healthcare in rural America. 
• Strengthen the E-rate Program. E-rate must adapt to embrace new technologies such as Wi-Fi on school buses and cybersecurity services necessary to protect school and library networks. 
• Fund broadband infrastructure for anchor institutions. Commercial and non-commercial broadband providers are valuable partners for connecting all CAIs to gigabit broadband. However, they need government funding to connect anchors in areas that are too costly to reach. 
• Increase competition through licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Making more spectrum available gives anchors the flexibility to choose the best connectivity solution for their unique situations. 
• Simplify and strengthen the Universal Service Fund. Rural students, veterans, low-income residents, and communities of color are just some of the people who obtain connectivity through USF programs. The USF now faces challenges that broadband policymakers must address, such as developing a future-proof funding mechanism and simplifying the application process. 
• Include anchors in broadband availability maps. As the FCC and Congress improve broadband maps with more accurate and granular data, they must include information about anchors. These maps should not be used to create barriers to competitors offering lower prices to anchor institutions.