Grassley, Colleagues Push FCC to Increase Speed and Access to Broadband in Rural Areas

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong resident of rural Iowa, joined Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) in pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take action to increase broadband speed requirements in its existing programs. The senators argue that improving these programs would help ensure that Americans, particularly those in rural and underserved areas, have access to the download and upload speeds necessary to participate in telehealth, telework and remote learning.

 

“Without agency action, the FCC risks leaving Americans in rural areas behind. We respectfully urge the FCC to take action to enhance these programs as soon as possible. Doing so will position the FCC to better respond to the needs of our constituents living and working in rural high-cost areas. We appreciate your work to bring fast, reliable, and affordable broadband to every American,” the senators wrote.

 

The FCC is considering proposals to update two programs – the Alternative Connect American Cost Model (ACAM) and Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS) – that help connect people in rural America to affordable broadband services that are provided by local, smaller telecom companies. These updates, which would extend financial support in exchange for commitments to serve more people at higher broadband speeds, would connect thousands more Iowans to the kind of internet service necessary to participate in Iowa’s modern digital economy.

 

In a bipartisan letter, the senators urge the FCC to move forward with updates to these programs that would give more Iowans, and all Americans, access to higher-speed broadband than what is currently required.

 

The letter was also signed by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

 

Full text of the letter is available HERE.

 

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