U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on May 3 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a vetting process for prospective applicants seeking high-cost universal service program funding.
The FCC’s high-cost programs provide federal funds to telecommunications carriers to provide service in rural areas where the market alone cannot support the cost of deploying network infrastructure and providing connectivity, according to information provided by Sen. Capito’s staff.
“This bill is a product of many conversations I’ve had with small rural service providers and state and local officials in West Virginia,” Sen. Capito said. “The discussions I had with them made it abundantly clear the FCC needs congressional direction to ensure taxpayer money is being used properly to fund broadband deployment in rural areas.”
Sen. Capito introduced the Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2022, S. 4126, with original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), both members of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which is now considering the bill.
If enacted, S. 4126 would provide safeguards to the Universal Service Funds high-cost programs by ensuring that funding goes to companies that have demonstrated sound judgment in deploying broadband in hard-to-serve areas, and have had a proven track record of success doing so, according to the senator’s information.
“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,” said Sen. Capito.
“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,” Sen. Klobuchar said.
NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association endorsed the bill.