May 8, 2019
Background: Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, introduced by Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Susan Brooks (R-IN). The bipartisan bill requires the Department of Commerce to establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth inside the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to streamline management of federal broadband resources across agencies and simplify the process for small businesses to access federal broadband dollars.
The following statement can be attributed to a USTelecom spokesperson:
“Reps. Tonko and Brooks get what it takes to bring connectivity to the truly unserved parts of our country. They understand that deploying broadband and increasing internet access across America requires collaboration between providers and government and a smart use of valuable – and scarce – federal dollars. The Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth achieves two important deployment goals: streamlining provider access to essential government funds and avoiding network overbuilding. We hope the Senate follows the lead of the House and takes up Senator Cortez Masto’s companion bill to promote accountability, bridge the digital divide, and bring connectivity to the consumers who need broadband the most.”