Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Broadband DATA Act.

Over the last several Congresses, I have been focused on improving our broadband availability maps, so we not only inject fiscal responsibility into our Federal programs but to also connect thousands of my constituents who lack basic access to a meaningful internet connection. As we approach the end of the second decade in the 21st century, we must ensure all Americans are able to participate in the digital economy.

Since passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the private sector has invested roughly $1.7 trillion in their networks using different technologies. This private investment in rural broadband deployment is commendable and needed, but we must also make sure that government- supported solutions complement private investment instead of competing with it. The Broadband DATA Act will do just that. It will improve our Nation's coverage maps so that we can better pinpoint where internet access is and where it isn't. This accuracy is vital in directing Federal funds to communities that need it the most.

That is why I am pleased to see this important broadband mapping legislation before us today. I have worked on this bill with my friends across the aisle--specifically my good friend, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack)--and in the Senate. I appreciate the renewed focus this Congress has on improving the broadband maps because it is critically important our future funding decisions are based upon data that is verified, accurate, and granular.

As Members of Congress, we know our districts better than anyone, and we hear from those who do not have service. When we compared our knowledge with the existing maps, we recognized the need to take action and fix the maps to reflect reality.

While the Broadband DATA Act will move us closer in that direction, it is an evolving landscape and inevitably we will need to continually evaluate their effectiveness. That is why this bill includes a robust, user-friendly challenge process to appropriately dispute potential inaccuracies within the coverage maps. The challenge process is yet another layer to ensuring Federal funds are going to communities that need it most and ultimately bridging the digital divide in Ohio and across the entire Nation.

Mr. Speaker, today we are taking a meaningful step to promote broadband deployment in rural America.

Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania.

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Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely important that we have rural broadband access. It is not only to help our citizens but our students. We have to make sure that our businesses and our farmers all have the access they need to survive in this world that we live in today.

Mr. Speaker, I highly urge our Members of this House to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, as FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel said at our last oversight hearing, we need accurate maps before we spend money, and we need better data if we want good deployments.

More than that, I would add, the FCC needs to fix the maps that they have before they go out spending billions of dollars on broadband deployment in rural communities. Some of the funding choices the Commission has discussed making could impact these communities for the next 10 years.

The Commission has also acted on a range of regulatory actions related to deployment and competition using bad maps.

To be honest, I think the FCC needs to fix its maps before it makes either funding or regulatory decisions. To be honest, it seems like the FCC is a fact-free zone when it comes to the disconnect between how bad their maps are and the kinds of actions they are taking.

I want to thank the good work done by my colleague Dave Loebsack. The broadband mapping issue has been a passion of his for a long time, and I am glad that we are acting to address it before Dave retires. I know that he and his staffer Scott Stockwell, who is celebrating his birthday--and I wish Scott a happy birthday--have worked hard to get this legislation to the floor today. It is a critical first step in getting our Nation on the right track to closing the digital divide.

I also thank our committee staffers Jerry Leverich, Dan Miller, AJ Brown, Parul Desai, Phil Murphy, and Alex Hoehn-Saric on the majority staff, and Kate O'Connor, Evan Viau, Mike Engel, and Rachel Rathore on the minority staff for their hard work and diligence to get this bill to floor.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and address a critical shortfall in our Nation's broadband deployment policy.

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