Democratic Senators Want FCC To Eliminate Broadband Coverage Gaps

In early July, Democratic Senators Mark Warner (Va.) and John Kerry (Mass.) wrote to the Federal Communications Commission urging that the FCC reallocate resources from providing universal landline phone service to broadband. The letter asked that the $8 billion Universal Service Fund be used for areas lacking in modern broadband service, and that they be brought up to baseline speed.

The pair urges the FCC to require that all funds distributed through the proposed program to prioritize areas that lack broadband service at a baseline speed determined by the commission.

"Broadband is no longer a luxury; it has become critical economic infrastructure for Americans," the senators wrote. "Unfortunately," they continued, "broadband is still an expensive and uneven service in parts of the country. It is very important that all Americans have access to both fixed and mobile broadband services at an affordable price."

In late June, Kerry, Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, chaired a Commerce Committee hearing entitled "Transforming the High-Cost Fund for the Broadband Era." In his statement to the hearing, Kerry urged a move to supporting the individual user rather than the providers alone. He said:

The program (USF) must evolve to reflect an evolving level of telecommunications services in the market. And through reform, we must make sure the billions we spend to execute on that mission are spent effectively and efficiently and focused on increasing the number of Americans who receive and connect to our broadband network rather than on the size of the companies that receive the subsidy.

Kerry noted that through a policy of universality 95 percent of Americans have telephone service, and from that "there are lessons learned that we should apply to broadband going forward and we have to recognize that the modern communications system poses some new challenges in a time of increased fiscal constraints."

CWA supports a robust broadband network that connects Americans households and communities everywhere — including underserved areas. Crossing the digital divide should be a national priority, and a focus of FCC reforms of the USF.

Sens. Warner and Kerry Urge FCC to Close Gaps in Broadband Coverage (The Hill)

Transforming the High-Cost Fund for the Broadband Era (Sen. Kerry)

Comments of the Communications Workers of America