Legislators Introduce Bill to Connect Rural America
Washington, D.C. — Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) and Congresswoman Kuster (D-NH) introduced the Rural Broadband Protection Act to combat waste fraud and abuse in federal broadband programs. The Senate version of this bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Capito (R-WV) and Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) in 2023.
“Broadband access is critical to our modern-day economy and ensures rural Utahns have similar opportunities to Utahns on the Wasatch Front. Unfortunately, some broadband providers make commitments that they cannot deliver on and leave rural Americans without high-speed internet and the taxpayers holding the bag,” said Rep. Curtis. “The Rural Broadband Protection Act ensures there is a thorough vetting process to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in FCC rural broadband programs.”
“From helping the small business owners who drive New Hampshire’s economic growth connect with their customers to ensuring seniors have access to telehealth services regardless of where they live, access to quality, reliable broadband is essential to participating fully in the 21st-century,” said Rep. Kuster. “I’m thrilled to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help prevent government waste by ensuring that federal dollars go to providers that can do the work and deploy broadband networks to the most rural and hard-to-reach communities.”
“From online business startups to digital learning and telemedicine, broadband access is critical to the strength of our economy and our communities. That’s why I’ve made bridging the digital divide one of my top priorities in Congress,” Senator Capito said. “This legislation expands on my broadband efforts, and is a product of many discussions I’ve had with small rural service providers and local leaders in my state. These discussions made it abundantly clear the FCC needs congressional direction to ensure taxpayer money is being used properly to fund broadband deployment in rural areas. By verifying that providers can actually deliver on the promises made to bring high-speed internet to specific areas, we can maximize the influx of broadband dollars coming to West Virginia and move closer toward our goal of closing the digital divide in communities of all sizes across our state. West Virginians keep their word, but it’s time internet service providers do the same.”
“In 2024, we should be able to bring high-speed internet to every community in our country, regardless of their zip code,” Senator Klobuchar said. “This bipartisan legislation will help Americans connect to work, school, health care and business opportunities by ensuring the companies that apply for federal funding to build out broadband infrastructure can get the job done. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep fighting to close the digital divide and ensure families across our state can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.”
“It’s critical that government programs aimed at closing the digital divide prioritize accountability and transparency. The Rural Broadband Protection Act will strengthen the FCC’s vetting process for Universal Service Fund applicants to ensure the effective deployment of broadband networks,” US Telecom Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Brandon Heiner, said.
“Rural Americans deserve high-quality broadband access from providers capable of delivering on the promises they make in taking government funding to do so. NTCA has long advocated for proper vetting of those seeking funding, and on behalf of our small, community-based providers who have a proven track record of offering robust and reliable broadband, I thank Representatives Curtis and Kuster for making sure that accountability is top of mind before new funding decisions are made. NTCA endorses this legislation and looks forward to continuing to work with Congress and the FCC to ensure effective use of universal service fund resources,” CEO of NTCA —The Rural Broadband Association, Shirley Bloomfield, said.
Background:
The FCC’s high-cost programs funds telecom carriers who provide service in rural areas where the market alone cannot support the substantial cost of deploying network infrastructure and providing connectivity. Historically, it has subsidized voice service to ensure that rates in rural and urban areas are reasonably comparable. But with a series of reform orders that began in 2011, the FCC is modernizing the high-cost program to support broadband to ensure that all people in America – no matter where they live – have access to robust, affordable connectivity to fully participate in today’s society.
This modernized program is called the Connect America Fund, and it consists of a series of new funds that rely on incentive-based models and competitive bidding to award carriers a set amount of support to build out broadband to a defined number of locations in unserved and underserved areas.
The bill would provide essential safeguards to the FCC’s high-cost programs by ensuring that funding goes to companies with both a proven track record of success and have demonstrated sound judgment in deploying in hard-to-serve areas.