To expand rural broadband, President Trump and Congress should listen to local leaders

[Commentary] As Congress continues to hold hearings on “internet expansion” and a possible infrastructure bill is developed, we recommend three action steps that President Trump, Congress and the FCC can and should take to solidify their commitment to improving broadband access in rural America:

1. Create and maintain accurate information about availability. Many rural communities are disqualified from receiving funding for broadband based on inaccurate data supplied by telecom providers. Auditing submitted data could provide the needed transparency and accountability that would both provide evidence of the scope of the access divide and increase a sense of trust that taxpayer dollars are being well spent.
2. Encourage local solutions. Both co-ops and municipal networks have proven to be important options in expanding high-quality rural internet access.The federal government should encourage all investment, encouraging states to remove barriers to local solutions and allowing all capable entrants to receive federal funding through the Connect America Fund.
3. Promote innovation and competition. The FCC should maintain the existing 3.5 GHz Band rules to ensure rural wireless providers can deliver higher-quality services. Changing these rules, as the FCC has proposed, will limit creative local pilots and innovations in rural communities while disproportionately favoring the large providers. These changes would harm competition, not encourage it.

[Deb Socia is executive director of the nonprofit Next Century Cities]