U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) recently requested that appropriators in the U.S. House of Representatives reinforce federal funds for expanding broadband in the nation’s rural areas.
“As you consider Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations, I request level funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program,” wrote Rep. Duffy in an April 4 letter sent to leaders of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.
“It’s so critical that federal investments in rural broadband continue, so that we may assist in the buildout of these networks,” wrote Rep. Duffy, who is the ranking member of the U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance.
The congressman noted that high-speed broadband internet access is critical in rural communities like the 7th District in Wisconsin he represents.
“These areas, oftentimes overlooked by larger internet service providers, still require internet connectivity to help area residents raise families, grow businesses, and stay interconnected,” he wrote. “Internet access enables doctors to consult with patients remotely, businesses to engage with customers in a global marketplace, and for Wisconsin dairy farmers to produce more efficiently.”
Despite such benefits, Rep. Duffy noted that broadband deployment in urban areas across the country remain ahead of such expansion in rural regions, according to reports by the Federal Communications Commission.
“One barrier to rural broadband, often cited by telecommunications providers, is the steep cost of deploying broadband service in rural areas because there are too few customers to support that investment,” the lawmaker wrote. “That’s why if we are to ensure that rural areas have the support they need to continue to grow, then we must continue to support the creation of new and better broadband infrastructure in these areas.”
Scott Behn, chief executive officer of Cameron, Wis.-based Mosaic Telecom, called Rep. Duffy “a true supporter of rural broadband investment.”
“USDA rural broadband programs, like the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program, make it possible for Mosaic to offer service to underserved and unserved areas,” Behn said. “Congressman Duffy’s support of these funds is critical to build out our broadband infrastructure.”