U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in calling on congressional leaders to include dedicated funding in any future legislation to help ensure small broadband providers can keep students and low-income families connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many students and low-income families are facing financial hardships due to the pandemic and need assistance from small broadband providers — many of which have already committed to sustain critical internet services and provide upgrades to ensure that the most vulnerable among us stay connected,” wrote Sen. Young and his colleagues in an April 6 letter sent to leaders in both houses of Congress.
Despite rising unemployment claims and closed schools across the country, many small broadband providers have committed to continue providing voice and broadband services and upgrades, Sen. Young and the lawmakers wrote.
However, small providers — which contribute to more than 77,000 jobs and support more than $10 billion in U.S. economic activity — “may be unable to sustain services if customers are unable to pay for a prolonged period of time, jeopardizing broadband connectivity for customers all across this country,” according to their letter.
“Without action from Congress, small providers may be unable to continue to help ensure that the communities they serve can access distance learning and telehealth services,” members wrote.
Sen. Young and the contingent pointed to the bipartisan Keeping Critical Connections Act, S. 3569, which would help small business broadband providers keep customers connected. Sen. Young is one of 17 cosponsors of S. 3569, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
If enacted, S. 3569 would appropriate $2 billion for a Keeping Critical Connections fund at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under which small broadband providers with fewer than 250,000 customers could be compensated for broadband services if they provided free or discounted broadband services or upgrades during the pandemic for their customers that were low-income families who were unable to pay their bills or provided distance learning capability for students.
“While the third coronavirus relief package included funding for rural broadband deployment, it did not include funding to help small broadband providers sustain services and upgrades for students and low-income families,” Sen. Young and his colleagues wrote in their letter.
The lawmakers called on congressional leaders to include funding in the next expected relief package for a temporary emergency relief fund at the FCC “to help small broadband providers continue these critical services for students and low-income families throughout the pandemic.”