Amid COVID-19 Outbreak, Reps. Wittman and Johnson Introduce Bill to Increase Access to Broadband

Reps Rob Wittman (RVA-01), along with Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-6), announced the Serving Rural America Act. This legislation would create a five-year pilot grant program at the Federal Communications Commission, authorizing $100 million a year for a total of $500 million over five years to expand broadband service to unserved areas of the country. The Coronavirus outbreak across the nation has further emphasized the need for reliable broadband access in every home in America. 

• To be eligible, an internet service provider is required to partner with a locality, city, county, wireless authority, or planning district commission to ensure the needs and input of residents are included.
• Prioritizes funding to areas without 25Mbps/3Mbps.
• Includes important measures to ensure interagency coordination and safeguards against overbuilding of other federally funded broadband projects.
• Features a challenge process that allows the public or other existing service providers in the proposed service area to submit a challenge to the FCC, to determine whether the proposed project would duplicate existing broadband service in the proposed service area.
• Includes important measures to improve mapping including: analysis of third party data, crowd sourcing, and site specific testing in service areas where mapping data has been contested.
• Instructs the FCC to report to Congress annually on the progress of the program based on buildout data provided by recipients.