Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo spelled out the administration’s goal for the $65 billion infrastructure act investment in broadband deployment, one that depends on the FCC crafting better broadband availability maps. She testified before a Senate Appropriations Commerce Subcommittee oversight hearing on Tuesday.
Subcommittee Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) shared a common concern of Democrats and Republicans over handing out those billions. She said previous FCC coverage maps have not been accurate, and asked Raimondo to talk about where the Commission is in updating those maps, reported Multichannel News.
In his opening statement, Subcommittee Ranking member Jerry Moran (R-KS) said the money should not be spent on overbuilding while some Americans lack any access.
Raimondo agreed the maps are vital. For those concerned about overbuilding, she said the mission “is to prioritize the unserved.” At the end of the process, Raimondo said, “shame on me” if there is a single unserved person left. She also said the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration can’t distribute any funds without accurate maps. She said it was the purview of the FCC, but that Commerce was in “constant communication” with the agency, including a personal meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Raimondo said the FCC has indicated the agency expects to have the improved maps by summer. Raimondo said she was at least confident those will be an improvement on the past maps, which were by census tract, because the new data drills down to households.
“Our goal at the Commerce Department,” Raimondo told the committee, “is to make certain that at the end of our work every single household, small business, farm, family, and student in America has access to affordable, reliable high-speed broadband.” She said that means giving states the flexibility to focus the funding where it is most needed, according to Multichannel News.
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