The Senate recently passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a bipartisan $1 trillion investment in the country’s physical infrastructure, which allocates $65 billion in broadband spending and is awaiting action by the House. In this episode, Kris Pusok sits down with former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, to discuss what this […]
infrastructure
Coalition Opposes Wasteful $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan
Today, a coalition of tax and consumer groups wrote a letter to Congress in opposition to the $3.5 trillion proposal, calling it — not a “path for progress for Americans,” but rather a mixed bag of higher taxes andincreased wasteful spending for which taxpayers will ultimately be responsible. The coalition letter is available here online.
Federal Investment in Broadband Won’t Improve Digital Equality
Last weekend, a bipartisan group of Senators had released the legislative text of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. While significant investment may be required to repair the nation’s roads, bridges, ports, and airports, the bill’s proposals for increased state investment in broadband will undermine an ecosystem that is already providing consumers with faster speeds, lower […]
Broadband Agreement Must Include What Consumers Demand
The Biden Administration and a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators recently reached an agreement on an infrastructure an plan worth $579 billion in new spending. Among other spending programs, the proposal contains a provision for $65 billion in federal spending to deploy fiber optic cables to “future proof” America’s digital infrastructure. This spending would largely […]
New Broadband Bill Could Close Digital Divide
On May 27, 2021 U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) along with Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) re-introduced the bipartisan Rural Connectivity Advancement Program Act of 2021 (RCAP), a bill that, if passed, aims to “strengthen connectivity in rural communities throughout the country.” If enacted by Congress, the RCAP […]
A “Future Proof” Approach to Broadband Infrastructure: An Analysis – A Podcast with Doug Brake
While there has been progress to close the digital divide, it is clear that more needs to be done. To address this, some members of Congress and the current administration are advocating for building “future proof” broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas so that we reach 100 percent high-speed broadband coverage, which could suggest […]
Fiber Alone is Not the Right Solution for Broadband Coverage in Rural America
The newly announced American Jobs Plan (AJP), unveiled by the Biden Administration last March, contains provisions that would inflict unnecessary harm on taxpayers and reduce the number of internet technologies developed. The AJP details a commitment to invest $100 billion of government funding into building “future proof” or fiber-only broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved […]
No, U.S. Does Not Have Least Affordable Broadband
The American Jobs Plan (AJP), unveiled by the Biden administration in March, is the most recent federal proposal written under the misleading notion that American consumers have the least affordable broadband among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member nations. The plan includes provisions to address the issue of inadequate internet access and calls […]
Infrastructure Plan Is Bad for Broadband
While on a visit to the rust belt city of Pittsburgh, President Joe Biden released his American Jobs Plan, claiming it would “create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China.” Aside from fixing highways, rebuilding bridges, and upgrading transit systems, Biden’s plan also calls for “affordable, reliable, […]
The Hill’s Congress Blog: Infrastructure Policy Should Include Transition to Mileage-Based Fees
Washington policymakers continue their internal debate on how to best improve our nation’s infrastructure, be it through bipartisan legislation or budget reconciliation. With significant interest to generate revenue and a clear need to improve our road and highway systems, Congress must make real progress in transitioning away from the regressive gas tax and towards implementing a more equitable national vehicle-miles-traveled […]