U.S. senators this month unveiled their version of bipartisan legislation to expand national broadband connectivity in underserved American communities cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rep. Brooks leads a bipartisan group of more than a dozen cosponsors of the legislation, which would establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to bolster broadband access in underserved areas around the nation.
“Hoosiers and Americans across the country who live in rural communities need better access to the internet so they can live and prosper in the 21st century economy,” Rep. Brooks said on April 4, when S. 1046 was introduced by U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).
Rep. Brooks introduced the original bill, the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (ACCESS BROADBAND) Act, H.R. 1328, with lead bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) on Feb. 25 along with cosponsors who included U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
If enacted, the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth established under the bill would track the construction and use of and access to any broadband infrastructure built using any federal support in a central database, according to the text of the bill.
“Currently, pursuing and managing federal broadband resources is overly burdensome for small businesses and communities as they search and manage multiple federal agencies’ application processes,” said Rep. Brooks. “The ACCESS BROADBAND Act will simplify this process for small businesses and local communities and will facilitate their interaction with government agencies as they apply for federal broadband assistance in order to bring internet connectivity to their communities.”