Democrats Refile Broadband Plans as Biden OKs E-rate, CPB Money
Congressional Democrats refiled a pair of multibillion-dollar broadband funding proposals Thursday -- the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (HR-1783) and Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act amid a rising push for infrastructure spending legislation, as expected (see 2103030063). The proposals' return came ahead of President Joe Biden’s Thursday night speech marking the one-year anniversary of widespread pandemic-related shutdowns, which some expect will include an unveiling of his plans for an infrastructure spending package. Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act package (HR-1319) earlier in the day, with emergency broadband money (see 2103110037).
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HR-1319 is “about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said. His approval clears the way for the FCC to begin work on disbursing the bill's $7.17 billion for emergency E-rate remote learning. It also includes $10 billion for state-level broadband and other infrastructure projects and $175 million for CPB (see 2103080057).
The E-rate money and associated language directing the FCC to draft rules to allow temporarily using the program’s funds for remote learning purposes gives the commission “new tools to support the millions of students locked out of the digital classroom,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
CPB “greatly appreciates this stabilization funding,” said CEO Patricia Harrison. It “will be directed to local public media entities.” CTIA and TechNet thanked Biden for signing HR-1319.
HR-1783 and its Senate companion, filed by House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, would authorize more than $94 billion for broadband. It includes $80 billion “to fund competitive bidding systems to build” connectivity infrastructure. About 75% would go to a system of competitive bidding to fund projects in unserved areas and those with less than 100 Mbps download/upload. The other 25% would be divided up among states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Each would be guaranteed to get at least $100 million. The measure allocates an additional $6 billion for the emergency broadband benefit program authorized in the December FY 2021 appropriations and COVID-19 aid package and an additional $2 billion in emergency E-rate funding.
HR-1783, like a previous version filed last year (see 2006240073), allocates $5 billion for a proposed NTIA program for communities and public-private partnerships, reflecting the Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. Digital equity investment language mirrors a proposal in the Digital Equity Act. There's language from the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (Access Broadband) Act to establish an NTIA Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth.
The Lift America Act, led by House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey and co-sponsored by the panel’s other 31 Democrats, contains many proposals identical to HR-1783. The similarities include $80 billion for broadband deployment and $5 billion for a proposed NTIA program for communities and public-private partnerships. The measure proposes $15 billion for next-generation 911 and $9.3 billion for broadband affordability and adoption programs. Democrats first filed a version of the bill in 2017 (see 1706020056).
NENA and allied groups raised concerns with the Lift America Act’s 911 funding language; APCO praised it. The proposal “could strand already-substantial state investments in NG9-1-1 deployments, and create cybersecurity risks” for governments, said NENA CEO Brian Fontes. Many other groups praised the Democrats' proposals, including the ACLU, Consumer Reports, Free Press, Incompas, New America’s Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, the Schools, Health & Libraries Coalition, USTelecom and Wireless Infrastructure Association.