Sens Blackburn, Bladwin introduced the Internet Exchange Act

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Sens Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Internet Exchange (IX) Act (S 1166), which will help to improve internet access for consumers, especially those in rural areas. Internet Exchanges (IXs) are physical locations where networks come together – they allow subscribers of different internet service providers to communicate with one another. IXs also provide opportunities for content delivery networks (CDNs) and others to cache content closer to end-users, thus reducing latency and increasing network efficiency to improve the online experience for consumers, especially in rural areas. IX facilities also provide opportunities for data centers and cloud computing to be collocated at IX sites, thus increasing efficiency and boosting local economies. Currently, IXs are concentrated in big cities and in the coastal states.

The bill has two primary sections:

  1. Authorizes matching grants to be administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the Department of Commerce, to help establish new IX facilities where none exist, or to help an existing one expand if it is the only IX facility in a core based statistical area.
  2. Permits eligible recipients under the E-Rate program (for schools and libraries) and Telehealth program to use such funds to contract with a broadband provider to obtain a connection to an IX facility, or to pay for the costs of maintaining a point of presence at an IX facility. 

Sens Blackburn, Bladwin introduced the Internet Exchange Act