It’s been unclear whether funding for broadband deployment is actually in the Trump administration’s upcoming infrastructure package, as the wireless industry hopes. Now, a White House official confirms it’s a key administration goal.
Kelsey Guyselman, a policy advisor for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said infrastructure was a priority for Trump even in the presidential campaign. “It’s safe to say broadband will be included in a package,” she said during a panel discussion on “Advancing Broadband Infrastructure for IoT and Smart Communities,” organized by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
The administration wants to ensure “policies are in place to incentivize companies to put their dollars into the ground. Every dollar spent on infrastructure goes towards driving networks,” said Guyselman.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has been working with the White House to identify priorities in this area, said NTIA Chief of Staff Glenn Reynolds. But noting “there’s only so much money to go around, the first goal is to figure out how to get the most bang for the buck.” The second challenge — how to incentivize industry to invest more. Reynolds suggested the industry identify projects “that would not have been built but for your investment, where the business case is not there unless government adds to the pot.”
The news comes as House and Senate Democrats in Congress on Thursday called for $40 billion in new federal funding for infrastructure projects in rural America that include broadband, reported The Washington Post. Internet providers would compete for the right to build out networks, according to a party white paper.
USTelecom thanked Congressional leaders for tackling the issue. “Closing the digital divide won’t be easy or inexpensive, but an economic jump-start for areas without access to broadband internet service will be worth the investment and remains a national priority,” said USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter. The association’s member companies – many of which are family-owned and have connected their rural communities for decades – are eager to work with federal officials on policies that will allow them to expand or upgrade existing networks, he added. “We look forward to working with lawmakers on an infrastructure bill, and other solutions, aimed at achieving the bipartisan goal of ensuring that broadband builds opportunities for all Americans, no matter where we live.”
CTIA echoed the sentiment, saying it “is encouraged by the announcement by Democrats highlighting the importance of expanding rural broadband access. The wireless industry stands ready to work with all policy makers to enact policies that will support investment and deployment of infrastructure that will increase connectivity for all Americans,” stated CTIA SVP Government Affairs Kelly Cole.
September 29, 2017
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