Eleven Senate Republicans protested an administration plan to fund broadband deployment in areas already served with speeds of 25 Mbps down/3 Mbps up.
In January, the Treasury Department issued a final rule for distribution of American Rescue Plan money. It eliminates an interim requirement that blocked overbuilding in areas that already have wired networks with those speeds.
That speed threshold would leave out any area that’s already served by at least one cable provider, even if there’s no competition and no fiber-to-the-home availability, according to Ars Technica. Advocates praised the new rule, saying the original speeds could prevent deployment to large portions of the U.S.
The Senators also want states to have less leeway in distributing funds, writing, “the broad nature of this guidance allows states to choose whatever information they wish to determine the availability of broadband in a given area.”
On Friday, the 11 Senate Republicans raised their concerns with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. “As you know, the authority provided by Congress to Treasury to make investments in broadband infrastructure was born out of the challenges posed by the pandemic, when much of daily life was forced online and when consumers lacking internet access faced even greater economic and personal hardship,” wrote the lawmakers. “Because of the importance of addressing these needs, we are profoundly disappointed that Treasury’s final rule lacks the proper guidance and constraints needed to ensure that federal funds are used efficiently and for their intended purpose.”
Led by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), the Senators said without constraints, history has shown, “there remains a significant risk that taxpayer money will be wasted in areas where broadband infrastructure already exists and those without access to quality broadband service will not receive the full measure of needed assistance.” They’re referring to past broadband money being doled out with no oversight concerning overbuilding.
Both the interim and final rules said that funded projects must “reliably meet or exceed” symmetrical 100 Mbps down/up or at least 100 Mbps down/20 Mbps up in areas where symmetrical speeds aren’t practicable “because of the excessive cost of the project or geography or topography of the area,” notes Ars Technica.
In addition to Moran, the letter was signed by fellow Republican members of the Senate Commerce Committee, including Roger Wicker of Mississippi, John Thune of South Dakota, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Deb Fischer of Nebraska. It was also signed by two North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, as well as Susan Collins of Maine.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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