Introduction of the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act of 2007

Floor Speech

INTRODUCTION OF THE BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACCELERATION ACT OF 2007

* Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I introduce, along with Representatives PHIL ENGLISH and MIKE THOMPSON, the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act of 2007. This legislation will allow immediate depreciation of the costs of new broadband infrastructure investments, speeding the deployment of broadband communications technology. The U.S. currently lags far behind many other industrialized nations in broadband deployment. At a time when America's global economic leadership is facing rising challenges from abroad, this bill will promote innovation and keep America competitive.

* By increasing the reach and capability of America's broadband network, the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act is a strategic investment that will benefit the education of our children, the delivery of health care and the overall economy. In the classroom, broadband will provide children and teachers with access to new information and learning tools, and allow for remote learning opportunities. At hospitals and doctors' offices, broadband will facilitate the application of information technology to health care, reducing costs and improving the quality of care that patients receive. Broadband will also increase productivity and efficiency in homes and at businesses, while giving our constituents access to information and communications capabilities as never before. The need for the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act is clear and now is the time for Congress to act.

* Similar legislation received broad bipartisan support in the past, with as many as 225 House cosponsors and 65 Senate cosponsors. This bill was an important priority for my late husband, who worked along with Mr. ENGLISH, Senator ROCKEFELLER, Senator BAUCUS, and the late Senator Moynihan to craft it in 2000. It passed the Senate three times, only to be stripped out in conference by the House. I wish that our constituents were already benefiting from the effects of this legislation, and we should not delay enactment any longer.

* The Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act will provide a temporary, two-tiered tax incentive to stimulate new investment in this crucial infrastructure: 50 percent expensing for investment in ``current-generation'' broadband infrastructure in rural and underserved areas, and full expensing for ``next generation'' broadband investments in those same areas, as well as residential areas generally. The purpose of this mechanism is to push broadband providers to roll out services in areas and at speeds that would not be economically feasible in the absence of this legislation. Therefore, this bill will not reward action that is already occurring.

* To facilitate that goal, the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act it is designed to be technology neutral, making delivery of service, not the delivery medium, the factor for eligibility. This will ensure that this tax incentive does not inhibit competition among broadband providers, thereby maximizing choice for consumers. Any broadband provider meeting the required speeds, measured in megabits of data delivered to and from the consumer per second, is eligible, whether such service is provided over telephone wire, cable modem, optical fiber, wireless, satellite, or other forms of technology.

* It is past time that Congress took action to ensure that all Americans have access to broadband communications technology. The Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act is a practical and effective mechanism that will help provide our constituents access to this important technology. I hope that my colleagues will support this legislation to bolster the innovation and competitiveness of this Nation.

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