As part of his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, President Biden is calling for up to $100 billion to be spent building new broadband systems, particularly in impoverished or rural areas that are underserved.
According to a White House fact sheet, the President wants to ensure that “every American who wants to, can afford high-quality and reliable broadband internet.”
The plan is also designed, says Administration officials, to reduce the cost of broadband, with a construction schedule expected to take around 8 years.
Biden has pointed out than more than 30 million American currently have no access to broadband, while in some urban and suburban markets broadband access is too expensive for many.
Otherwise known as the American Jobs Act, the President’s infrastructure proposal also calls for enhanced road and bridge construction, as well as new affordable housing, among many other features.
The plan will additionally put an emphasis on spending for networks that are already affiliated with local governments or nonprofits, and in so doing will allow those entities to compete with private providers.
Larry Irving, a former telecom official in the Clinton Administration, told USA Today that the President’s proposal is redefining the digital divide: “The simple act of recognizing that poverty is a bigger indicator of lack of access than geography is a huge statement.”
But in an interview with the publication C/Net, Michael Powell, chief executive officer of National Cable & Telecommunications Association, said the President’s proposal wrongly presumes that “the government is better suited than private sector technologists to build and operate the internet.”
Last week Republican Congressional members unveiled an infrastructure plan that will spend $65 billion on broadband infrastructure. In a statement, Wyoming Senator Jon Barrasso said the alternative broadband plan is less expensive because it will reduce regulatory barriers.
According to a recent NBC News poll, some 59% of respondents said they supported Biden’s larger infrastructure plan, with only 21% expressing opposition.
The American Jobs Act proposal is now being debated in Congress, with a final vote expected by mid-summer.
By Garry Boulard
