Infrastructure
House Republicans Unveil Bills to Close Digital Divide
House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Bob Latta (R-OR) unveiled a package of 26 bills that aim to streamline the deployment of broadband infrastructure. These bills, spearheaded by Republican members of the House Commerce Committee, would promote new and upgraded infrastructure deployments, incentivize competition and consumer choice, right-size regulations for building infrastructure across industries, and facilitate broadband deployment on federal lands. The 26 bills would:
Observations on Past and Ongoing Efforts to Expand Access and Improve Mapping Data
The US Government Accountability Office was asked to examine the current state of broadband investment and deployment. This report examines (1) industry and federal investments to deploy broadband in the US since 2009, and (2) efforts federal agencies are making to address deployment challenges.
Trump Administration Invests $86 Million in Rural Broadband Service in Eight States
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $86 million in rural broadband service for 17,000 people and businesses in eight states. USDA is providing loans to six telecommunications providers to build, expand and improve broadband services in Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Below are examples of projects that USDA is funding through the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program:
Reactions to the Accessible, Affordable, Internet for All Act
On June 24, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) and other House Reps introduced the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (HR 7302) which invests $100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities and ensure that the resulting internet service is affordable.
House Task Force on Rural Broadband Introduce Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act
House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC), members of the House Rural Broadband Task Force, and House Democrats introduced the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (HR 7302). The bill would invest $100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities and ensure that the resulting internet service is affordable. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act would do the following:
Senator Smith Leads Push on USDA to More Quickly Allocate COVID-19 Relief Funds to Bolster Rural Broadband Access
Sen Tina Smith (D-MN) led her Senate colleagues in calling on the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to speed up spending the resources allocated within COVID-19 relief legislation to expand broadband access for Minnesota families and people across the country. In her letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Sen Smith and her colleagues point out that Congress recognized the urgent need for broadband access in rural communities, and made sure the CARES Act included $100 million for the ReConnect Program. However, much of the allocated funds are still unspent.
At this meeting, the BDAC will hear reports from the Increasing Broadband Investment in low-income Communities, Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Job Skills and Training Opportunities, and Disaster Response and Recovery working groups.
This agenda may be modified at the discretion of the BDAC Chair and the Designated Federal Officer (DFO).
This meeting is being held via conference call and available to the public via the Internet at http://www.fcc.gov/live
These Young Entrepreneurs Have A Plan To Bring The Internet To Detroit, The Least Connected City In America
So what if we treated the Internet like a public utility, as essential and ubiquitous as electricity or water, and piloted this in Detroit? A team of Forbes Under 30 alumni hacked at this problem; their idea: Connectivity For All, a three-step pilot program that would be a public-private partnership to create a quick-to-implement, self-sustaining system to bridge the digital divide. The team quickly realized that parts of their solution had already been figured out by local organizations — the biggest issue was funding. With that in mind, the team dreamed up of tech hubs — physical communi
Senators Introduce Bill to Accelerate Deployment of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Broadband Networks
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Sen Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Accelerating Broadband Connectivity (ABC) Act of 2020. This legislation would expedite the deployment of broadband service by creating a fund to be used by the Federal Communications Commission to incentivize winning bidders of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction to complete their buildout obligations on a shorter timeline. The Accelerating Broadband Connectivity Act would:
America’s digital divide is an emergency
Far too many Americans are cut off from access to affordable high-speed Internet even as more of our core systems go digital. Unchecked, the result will be an America even more unequal than the one we see today. The United States has failed in the equitable delivery of this public good. The disparity will almost certainly lead to further inequity. No American should suffer the indignity of searching for Internet. Starbucks WiFi is not a social safety net.