Congressman Dave Taylor Introduces Bill to Curb Bureaucratic Delays and Enhance Affordability of Rural Broadband
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) introduced the Bridging the Broadband Gap Act, which will prioritize the affordability and expansion of broadband to rural communities through satellite and fixed-wireless broadband. This bill will allow states to use funds from the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to pay for 50% of the initial cost of a satellite or fixed wireless receiver and $30 of each monthly bill for the first year of service. It will additionally give service priority to counties in the bottom 50% of a state’s per capita income.
“Through endless federal bureaucracy, the BEAD Program, which put over $42 billion toward rural broadband, has still not connected a single household to broadband and left southern Ohioans behind,” stated Congressman Taylor. “Fiber internet is vital but it could take years to connect all of southern Ohio, and my Bridging the Broadband Gap Act would expand broadband across rural America while the proper infrastructure is being developed. No matter what technology is used, rural Americans need internet access now and this bill will put us one step closer to connecting rural Ohio farmers, families, and businesses with the modern economy.”
Specifically, this bill will amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize recipients of funds under the BEAD Program to provide broadband vouchers to households in specific locations. Since BEAD has already allocated federal funds to states, the Bridging the Broadband Gap Act would allow current funding to be used for vouchers.
Out of sixteen counties in Ohio’s Second Congressional District, thirteen are among the bottom 50% of Ohio’s lowest per capita income areas. By prioritizing services to low-income counties, the Bridging the Broadband Gap Act will transform rural families’ ability to access the internet across Southern Ohio.
The full bill text is available here.
Background:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law on November 15, 2021, and authorized $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure, including $42.5 billion for the BEAD Program.
The Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program was established with the purpose of connecting all of rural America to broadband. Due to complex requirements and bureaucratic delays within the program, its impact has been severely limited. Reforming the BEAD program will prioritize the affordability and expansion of broadband access for rural Americans.