There is no denying that rural America needs better access to broadband in order to thrive in the 21st century. But plans unveiled by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigieg risk wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on ill-suited technology. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has pledged $80 billion to create a public broadband provider for areas where there are few or no private companies offering service. Similarly, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma) wants to create an Office of Broadband Access to distribute $85 billion in federal grants for high-speed public broadband in underserved areas. City governments would also gain control of utility poles and conduits under the plan.
Read why these plans would be a major problem for consumers and broadband development.