U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced new legislation aimed at delivering reliable internet to more rural Americans by redirecting dormant federal funding back to the states.
“Missourians and rural Americans across the country are losing out on internet service thanks to failed funding policies,” said Senator Hawley. “My bill would put states in charge of their own broadband funding—not government-backed companies that overpromise and under-deliver.”
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) current funding structure favors large companies that receive billions in federal contracts intended to provide high-speed internet access to rural communities. These companies often fail to meet obligations, leaving federal funds in default and rural communities without internet service.
To date, the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund has seen more than $2.8 billion in defaulted funds.
Senator Hawley’s Broadband Fairness Act proposes several measures:
– Allocate defaulted FCC funds to the state that originally received the award for broadband deployment;
– Ensure that the geographic region where an award defaulted is eligible for other broadband funding opportunities; and
– Allow states to supplement other grant funding to complete broadband projects.
The Missouri Farm Bureau has endorsed Senator Hawley’s legislation.
Full text of the Broadband Fairness Act is available here.
