US Senate

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Vice Chairman Tom Udall (D-NM), along with Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Bridging the Tribal Digital Divide Act of 2020 to accelerate the deployment of broadband services to Native communities and bridge the digital divide facing Native communities. The bill would expedite the deployment of affordable broadband service on Tribal lands by coordinating and improving the effectiveness of federal resources.

Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced a new webpage where constituents can complete and submit an internet speed test to the Federal Communications Commission, and learn more about the fight to bring reliable broadband to rural communities across West Virginia. The webpage can be accessed from a computer or mobile device at manchin.senate.gov/speedtest. If you are experiencing internet speeds below the FCC’s definition of broadband, which is 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, Senator Manchin wants to hear from you.

Sen Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai questioning Wisper ISP, Inc.’s progress in expanding access to rural broadband internet in Missouri. In 2018, the FCC awarded Wisper ISP, Inc. $176 million to connect more than 60,000 locations in Missouri with broadband service, but little is known about the current state of the project. "The latest data from the FCC shows 45% of residents in rural parts of my state do not have access to a wired broadband service. Missouri ranked 41st in the country for its limited connectivity.

Josh Hawley (R-MO) is proposing to overhaul the agency by restructuring it to meet the needs of today’s digital markets. The plan would relocate the FTC to the Department of Justice, eliminate the multi-member commission and replace it with a single Director, end the jurisdictional overlap regarding mergers and acquisitions, and create a new "Digital Market Research Section" within the FTC composed of technologists, economists, and market specialists.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) sounded the alarm on a misguided plan from the Federal Communications Commission that would exacerbate the digital divide in numerous Upstate New York communities and called on it to reverse course at once. The FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund will allocate $20.4 billion to connect millions of rural homes and small businesses to high-speed, broadband internet.

A bipartisan group of leading national security senators introduced legislation to encourage and support US innovation in the race for 5G, providing over $1 billion to invest in Western-based alternatives to Chinese equipment providers Huawei and ZTE.