A bipartisan broadband maps amendment offered by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) passed unanimously during the U.S. Senate’s consideration of the bipartisan infrastructure package, Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act.
Specifically, Sen. Fischer’s Senate Amendment (S.Amdt.) 2164, which she sponsored on Aug. 2 with U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), promotes transparency by requiring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create a publicly accessible online interactive map displaying the locations of broadband deployment projects that are funded by the federal government, according to the congressional record summary.
S.Amdt. 2164 specifically amended S.Amdt. 2137 to the INVEST in America Act, H.R. 3684, sweeping legislation that would allocate $1.2 trillion toward updating national infrastructure. The Senate on Aug. 10 approved H.R. 3684 on a 69-30 vote, and the bill now heads back to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
Sen. Fischer’s S.Amdt. 2164 would help federal agencies avoid duplication and efficiently deploy broadband networks across America by requiring the FCC to consult with all relevant federal agencies and develop a deployment locations map that would contain data for each federal program that funds broadband buildout related to respective agency, program title, network type, project duration timeline, total locations served, and speed metrics.
The online mapping tool would incorporate past and future funding for broadband deployment, including recent funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CARES Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, according to the senator’s office.
“I applaud Senator Fischer for her leadership and thoughtful work to promote broadband infrastructure builds,” said FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. “Her success in winning a bipartisan amendment to the infrastructure legislation will promote accountability and help ensure that federal dollars are put to use connecting Americans.”
The amendment also received support from industry groups NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association; NCTA – The Internet & Television Association; and WTA Advocates for Rural Broadband.