Delgado, House Task Force on Rural Broadband Introduce Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) along with House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (SC-06), and members of the House Rural Broadband Task Force introduced the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, which invests $100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities and ensure that the resulting internet service is affordable.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the necessity of broadband, from homeschooling, to supporting our small businesses, to effectuating telemedicine. For far too long, our rural communities have been held back by a lack of access to this essential utility in the 21st century, and there is simply no excuse. I'm proud to join in introducing this legislation to get high-speed internet into homes all across my district and beyond," said Rep. Antonio Delgado.

"Over a year ago, I formed the House Rural Broadband Task Force with the goal of bringing affordable high-speed internet to 100 percent of Americans," said Whip Clyburn. "Since then, the disparity between those served and unserved has become clearer. In my home state alone, nearly 1 in 10 South Carolina households lack access to a reliable broadband connection. That is why I am proud that the Rural Broadband Task Force, in collaboration with members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, crafted the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act to address this issue once and for all."

FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said, "Broadband is no longer nice-to-have, it's need-to-have for work, education, healthcare, and so much of modern life. So kudos to the Rural Broadband Task Force for recognizing this truth and coming up with a plan to connect us all. Working together like this we can solve the digital divide, fix the homework gap, and give everyone a fair shot at internet age success."

"Millions of Americans--in rural and urban areas--don't have broadband at home because it is simply too expensive. Closing the digital divide means making broadband affordable for all Americans, and I commend Congressman Clyburn and the entire Rural Broadband Task Force for putting that goal at the heart of this legislation," said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks.

"Efforts to bridge the digital divide began nearly 25 years ago, yet millions of rural Americans remain sidelined and disconnected simply because of their zip code. In 2020, that's unacceptable -- especially as the COVID-19 pandemic spotlights the need for high-performing broadband access in so many of aspects of rural communities. More than 150 electric co-ops are working to provide broadband access in their local communities, and hundreds more are conducting feasibility studies. This legislation carries the promise of accelerating those efforts and expanding broadband access across rural America. We commend the cosponsors of the bill for their focus on solving this problem and look forward to working with them and other stakeholders to make broadband access possible throughout the nation," said Jim Matheson, CEO, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

According to the Federal Communications Commission's 2020 Broadband Deployment Report, 18 million people lack access to broadband, and experts widely agree that this number is understated. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act would do the following:

Encourage Universal Broadband Access by:

including $80 billion to deploy broadband infrastructure nationwide;
allocating $5 billion for low-interest financing of broadband deployment through a new secured loan program; and
establishing a new office within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to ensure efficient use of federal money.

Ensure Internet Affordability by:

requiring an affordable option for internet service plans offered on the newly-built infrastructure;
providing a $50 monthly discount on plans for low-income consumers; and
directing the FCC to collect and publicize data on prices charged for broadband service throughout the country.

Promote Internet Adoption by:

providing over $1 billion to establish grant programs for states to close gaps in broadband adoption, as well as digital inclusion projects for organizations and local communities to implement;
including $5 billion to enable students without internet at home to participate in remote learning; and
authorizing funding for Wi-Fi on school buses so students can stay connected, especially in rural areas where longer bus rides are common.

As representative of the third most rural Democratic-held district, and the eighth most rural district overall, Rep. Delgado has worked to make increasing access to rural broadband a priority in Congress. As a member of the Rural Broadband Task Force, the Congressman has championed a number of measures to move away from census-block mapping that overcounts rural communities, and successfully amended appropriations legislation to prohibit the sole use of census-block data. The Congressman also held a Field Hearing on Rural Broadband at Columbia-Greene Community College where FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks heard from New York's 19th Congressional District residents about the urgent need for broadband internet access for students, medical professionals, rural communities, co-ops and more. Following this hearing, Rep. Delgado introduced a legislative package comprised of two bills that empower communities to improve flawed broadband mapping procedures.

Additionally, Rep. Delgado has worked to make sure New York was eligible for RDOF funding of up to $20.4 billion to expand broadband in unserved rural areas. The initial RDOF Order, published in January 2020, excluded all of New York from being eligible for Phase 1 of RDOF ($16 billion). The Congressman led his colleagues in the New York delegation demanding that the FCC reverse this exemption, which resulted in a change in the Order to allow New York to participate in RDOF. Delgado continues to monitor the progress of the RDOF rollout, most recently inquiring after Charter Communication's request for RDOF funding to be withheld in census blocks where they are obligated to build out service as part of their merger agreement.

This legislation is the product of extensive collaboration between the House Rural Broadband Task Force and members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and is included in the Moving Forward Act, a transformational infrastructure package to create jobs rebuilding America.

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