Kinzinger bill bars FCC from regulating broadband rates

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would be barred from regulating the rates charged for broadband internet access service under legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

“If the goal of my friends on the other side of the aisle is to provide affordable internet access to low-income households, that is a noble cause I can support, and there are existing programs which could be leveraged to do so,” Rep. Kinzinger said last week. “But government must not — now or ever — treat internet service as a public utility in order to control rates. My legislation would take that option off the table, once and for all.”

The congressman on May 19 offered the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act, H.R. 3346, which would state that the FCC “may not regulate the rates charged for broadband internet access service,” according to the text of the bill. 

“Over the past few years, America has made significant progress in expanding and improving broadband internet access,” said Rep. Kinzinger. “As co-chair of the House Rural Broadband Caucus and a representative of a rural Illinois district, I’m keenly aware of the work that still needs to be done in order to achieve universal broadband access.”

But as it stands, he added, private capital has been driving the vast majority of investment in improving broadband access around the nation. If the federal government moved toward rate regulation, then necessary broadband investment would be destroyed and the digital divide would widen for Americans living in underserved and rural areas, according to his office.

“While the federal government can and should continue to provide resources to help with the buildout of broadband in those hard to reach areas, regulating service rates will only destroy this investment model — one that has brought access to over 90 percent of Americans,” Rep. Kinzinger said. “If we want to build upon this progress, we must ensure that the government is not setting the rates Americans pay to use the internet.”

H.R. 3346 has been referred to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration.