Senator Gillibrans Announces Bipartisan PLan to Build an Improved Broadband System in Areas of Highest Need
Press Release
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today announced the Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act, bipartisan legislation that would help close the broadband gap in rural areas to help ensure that all New Yorkers have access to high-speed Internet. This bill would expand resources available for building high-speed broadband infrastructure by creating a new program to combine grants and loans to help finance projects serving rural and tribal areas.
"Reliable, fast internet access isn't a luxury, it's a necessity in the 21st century economy," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "Lack of affordable broadband service cuts off families and businesses from critical services. The Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act would give our rural communities in the Southern Tier access to the resources they need to get online and stay competitive in our digital economy. I'm proud to be working with Senator Capito on this bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to seeing it pass the Senate and ultimately become law."
As part of her effort to make high-speed internet service available to all New Yorkers, Gillibrand is also actively calling for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve a New York State waiver submitted this Fall for use of $170 million in FCC federal funding through the Connect America Fund (CAF). These funds were made available when Verizon declined to accept the allocation through the last CAF disbursement, denying the rural areas through New York State that are served by Verizon the CAF funds needed to build out improved broadband service. In a May 2016 letter to the FCC, Gillibrand requested that rather than the FCC reallocating these unclaimed funds into a national competition, these funds should remain dedicated to New York State, allowing the state to partner with the FCC in use of the funding by the state's broadband deployment program. Gillibrand is now calling on the FCC to approve the state's waiver request for use of these funds before the year ends.
Source