To ensure that previously authorized federal broadband funding is being used efficiently, U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) this week launched a nationwide oversight effort to review the broadband programs of several government agencies.
“Every federal dollar that has been spent should go toward the stated purpose of expanding connectivity to truly unserved areas,” Sen. Thune said. “Congressional oversight has been noticeably absent in these areas, and there is serious concern that the federal government would repeat previous mistakes where agencies’ gross mismanagement of broadband funds fell on the backs of taxpayers across the country.
“It is time for Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities and hold the government accountable to hardworking taxpayers,” the senator said.
As ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, Sen. Thune sent a Dec. 6 letter seeking input on the current broadband regulatory structure from a diverse group of stakeholders, including broadband associations, public interest groups, and free market think tanks.
“I’m committed to expanding access to broadband services and strengthening connectivity in rural areas in South Dakota and around the nation,” said Sen. Thune in a related statement. “In order to ensure rural communities have access to these services, it is critical for federal agencies to efficiently spend funds on the areas that need it the most.”
According to the lawmaker’s letter, Congress has allocated billions of dollars with the intent to expand broadband services to unserved areas, including last year’s $65 billion investment in broadband services under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
At the same time, the Government Accountability Office recently found that broadband funding is spread out over 15 separate agencies and more than 130 separate programs, wrote Sen. Thune.
“The fragmented approach the federal government has taken to address the digital divide raises a number of concerns,” he wrote. “This creates a serious risk of misallocating the broadband funding Congress has appropriated which may result in billions of taxpayer dollars being spent with little to show.”
Sen. Thune requested that each organization provide comments on the current broadband regulatory structure and its priorities, as well as provide responses to several questions by Jan. 6, 2023.
“I believe it is imperative Congress exercises its oversight responsibilities and seeks feedback on how to best expand broadband services in the most effective, efficient, and fiscally responsible manner so that we can close the digital divide once and for all,” Sen. Thune wrote. “Absent such oversight, there is a significant risk the federal government will repeat the mistakes of the past where agencies misused billions of dollars and overbuilt networks.”