Democratic lawmakers call for $40 billion in broadband funding

Democratic lawmakers are calling for $40 billion in direct broadband investment in the wake of President Trump’s infrastructure plan, which includes no direct broadband investment. Democrats first called for significant investment last spring with the release of their trillion-dollar LIFT America Act infrastructure plan. The $40 billion would be used to fund a grant program to close the last mile gap, upgrade existing broadband infrastructure, and tackle the tribal broadband gap, among other things. Read the Democratic broadband plan here.

In June 2017, CWA urged policymakers to take action to accelerate broadband deployment and close the digital divide with $40 billion in infrastructure subsidies for underserved communities, tax initiatives to spur investment in gigabit networks, and digital inclusion initiatives to make broadband more affordable.

Links:

Hill Dems Push $40B in Direct Broadband Funding (Broadcasting & Cable, Mar. 7, 2018)

A Better Deal: Universal High-Speed Internet plan (US Senate, May 2017)

CWA urges Congress to prioritize broadband investment in infrastructure plan (Speed Matters, June 7, 2017)