Free Press Pushes Congress to Keep Broadband Grants in Stimulus Package

February 13, 2009

By Mike Peters

Free Press has sent letters to House and Senate leadership voicing strong support for federal funding for broadband and urging Congress to keep broadband stimulus in the final versions of the economic stimulus package and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan (which allocates $7 billion toward broadband expansion in small markets and rural areas of the country).

Central Role of Broadband in the Nation's Economic Recovery

"We are pleased that both bills recognize the central role broadband will play in putting us on the road to economic recovery," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "As Congress moves forward with this critical legislation, the openness, accountability, and public-service provisions approved by both the House and the Senate must remain."

Highlights of Free Press Broadband Stimulus Letter to Congress

The Free Press letter reads, in part: "We strongly support the targeted, accountable allocation of public funds for investment in broadband deployment. Although we would have preferred an even larger investment in network infrastructure, both bills include substantial resources, guided by public interest principles, and managed by experienced administrators. Further, the commitment shown to protecting innovation and consumer choice through openness or nondiscrimination principles applied to these networks is especially welcome. Both bills, if carried forward into law, would generate investment in broadband deployment, create jobs across a wide range of skill sets and geographic locations, and promote good, public interest-driven telecommunications policy."

"By establishing nondiscrimination and network interconnection obligations for the receipt of funds, the Senate bill promotes competition, innovation, and new investment in Internet content and services, stimulating consumer demand for broadband services and producing even more new jobs."

"Finally, the speed requirements established in the House bill promote real capital investment in projects that would not have occurred otherwise, including investments in new core network infrastructure. Targeted investment in high-speed networks creates jobs immediately and will serve as an economic growth engine for years to come."