US broadband is about to get a major cash injection through the $1.2tr bipartisan infrastructure bill approved by the House of Representatives on Friday.
The bill, passed by the Senate in August, is expected to be signed by President Biden in the next few days.
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will deliver $65 billion to help ensure that every American has access to reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in broadband infrastructure deployment," the White House said in a statement. "The legislation will also help lower prices for internet service and help close the digital divide, so that more Americans can afford internet access."
The infrastructure bill includes:
The infrastructure bill also forbids Digital Discrimination by internet service providers, which means that access should not be based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin. It also calls for the restoration of Consumer Broadband Labels, which disclose broadband service prices and features.
The Obama administration unveiled broadband service labels in 2016, based on a 2015 FCC net neutrality order that expanded disclosures established in 2010, only to see them tossed by the Trump administration.
The bill supports projects that will provide broadband speeds of at least 100Mbps down and 20Mbps up, with sufficient latency for real-time interactive applications. And it defines "underserved locations" to mean less than 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up, or lacking the latency to support real-time interactive applications.
"Implemented properly, this investment should go great distances toward connecting the millions of rural consumers who still need reliable, sustainable and affordable access – improving economic opportunity, job creation, education, healthcare and civic engagement," said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of the Rural Broadband Association, in a statement.
The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society has summarized the broadband enhancements and describes the process by which states should woo NTIA for funds. ®
Created by Tan KW | Aug 10, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Aug 10, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Aug 10, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Aug 10, 2024