[Senate Hearing 116-586]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       S. Hrg. 116-586

                      THE STATE OF BROADBAND AMID 
                         THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                              BEFORE THE

                         COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                      SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                     ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                              MAY 13, 2020

                               __________

    Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov
                
                               __________

                                
                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
52-672 PDF                 WASHINGTON : 2023                    
          
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       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                     ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                  ROGER WICKER, Mississippi, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota             MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, 
ROY BLUNT, Missouri                      Ranking
TED CRUZ, Texas                      AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska                 EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
CORY GARDNER, Colorado               TOM UDALL, New Mexico
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee          GARY PETERS, Michigan
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia  TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
MIKE LEE, Utah                       TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin               JON TESTER, Montana
TODD YOUNG, Indiana                  KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona
RICK SCOTT, Florida                  JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
                       John Keast, Staff Director
                  Crystal Tully, Deputy Staff Director
                      Steven Wall, General Counsel
                 Kim Lipsky, Democratic Staff Director
              Chris Day, Democratic Deputy Staff Director
                      Renae Black, Senior Counsel
                           
                           
                           C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Hearing held on May 13, 2020.....................................     1
Statement of Senator Wicker......................................     1
Statement of Senator Cantwell....................................     3
Statement of Senator Blunt.......................................    42
Statement of Senator Klobuchar...................................    43
Statement of Senator Fischer.....................................    45
Statement of Senator Udall.......................................    47
Statement of Senator Thune.......................................    49
Statement of Senator Tester......................................    51
Statement of Senator Moran.......................................    53
Statement of Senator Markey......................................    55
Statement of Senator Blackburn...................................    56
Statement of Senator Rosen.......................................    57
Statement of Senator Capito......................................    59
Statement of Senator Lee.........................................    61
Statement of Senator Baldwin.....................................    63
Statement of Senator Sullivan....................................    65
Statement of Senator Schatz......................................    67
Statement of Senator Blumenthal..................................    69
Statement of Senator Sinema......................................    70

                               Witnesses

Steven K. Berry, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
  Competitive Carriers Association...............................     5
    Prepared statement...........................................     6
Shirley Bloomfield, Chief Executive Officer, NTCA--The Rural 
  Broadband Association..........................................    11
    Prepared statement...........................................    13
Gene Kimmelman, Senior Advisor, Public Knowledge.................    18
    Prepared statement...........................................    20
Jonathan Spalter, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
  USTelecom--The Broadband Association...........................    33
    Prepared statement...........................................    35

                                Appendix

Support letter dated April 29, 2020 to Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Hon. 
  Kevin McCarthy, Hon. Mitch McConnell and Hon. Chuck Schumer....    75
Letter dated May 13, 2020 to Hon. Roger Wicker and Hon. Maria 
  Cantwell from Meredith Attwell Baker, President and CEO, CTIA..    99
Letter dated May 13, 2020 to Hon. Roger Wicker and Hon. Maria 
  Cantwell from Stephanie Hall, Director, Innovation Policy, 
  National Association of Manufacturers..........................   100
Letter dated May 13, 2020 to Hon. Roger Wicker and Hon. Maria 
  Cantwell from Tom Struble, Technology and Innovation Policy 
  Manager, R Street Institute and Jeffrey Wrestling, Technology 
  and Innovation Policy Resident Fellow, R Street Institute......   101
Statement from the Utilities Technology Council..................   102
Response to written questions submitted to Steven K. Berry by:
    Hon. Roger Wicker............................................   104
    Hon. Roy Blunt...............................................   104
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................   105
    Hon. Shelley Moore Capito....................................   107
    Hon. Todd Young..............................................   108
    Hon. Richard Blumenthal......................................   108
Response to written questions submitted to Shirley Bloomfield by:
    Hon. Roger Wicker............................................   109
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................   110
    Hon. Shelley Moore Capito....................................   112
    Hon. Richard Blumenthal......................................   113
    Hon. Kyrsten Sinema..........................................   115
Response to written questions submitted to Gene Kimmelman by:
    Hon. Amy Klobuchar...........................................   115
    Hon. Richard Blumenthal......................................   116
    Hon. Kyrsten Sinema..........................................   117
Response to written questions submitted to Jonathan Spalter by:
    Hon. Roger Wicker............................................   118
    Hon. John Thune..............................................   119
    Hon. Roy Blunt...............................................   119
    Hon. Jerry Moran.............................................   119
    Hon. Shelley Moore Capito....................................   121
    Hon. Todd Young..............................................   122
    Hon. Richard Blumenthal......................................   123
    Hon. Edward Markey...........................................   124

 
                      THE STATE OF BROADBAND AMID 
                         THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

                              ----------                              


                        WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020

                                       U.S. Senate,
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 
SD-G50, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Roger Wicker, 
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
    Present: Senators Wicker [presiding], Thune, Blunt, 
Fischer, Moran, Sullivan, Gardner, Blackburn, Capito, Lee, 
Cantwell, Klobuchar, Blumenthal, Schatz, Markey, Udall, Peters, 
Baldwin, Tester, Sinema, and Rosen.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI

    The Chairman. This hearing will come to order. Welcome, 
welcome. Today the Committee convenes to discuss the state of 
broadband amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I extend my appreciation 
to my colleagues for their attendance and their participation, 
several of whom will participate remotely. I welcome our 
distinguished panel of witnesses, and thank them for appearing.
    Today we will hear from Mr. Steven Berry, President and 
Chief Executive Officer of the Competitive Carriers 
Association; Ms. Shirley Bloomfield, Chief Executive Officer of 
NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association; Mr. Gene Kimmelman, 
Senior Advisor of Public Knowledge, who will be appearing and 
testifying remotely; and Mr. Jonathan Spalter, President and 
Chief Executive Officer of USTelecom, The Broadband 
Association.
    The COVID-19 crisis has changed life dramatically for 
almost every American. As the Administration and the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention encourage social distancing 
to prevent further spread of the virus, normal activities like 
work, school, and health care services are now increasingly 
taking place online. This has caused a huge uptick in the use 
of broadband. One estimate shows that average broadband usage 
is up by 47 percent since the pandemic began.
    The good news is that there has been some progress in 
connecting all Americans. The FCC's recently released Broadband 
Deployment Report tells us that the number of households 
without access to broadband service continues to decline. Yet, 
despite these advances, there is still significant work that 
needs to be done to get every American connected.
    The current public health crisis has made these efforts all 
the more urgent. I appreciate the initiatives led by the FCC to 
sustain and accelerate the availability of broadband 
connections. This includes the Keep Americans Connected Pledge, 
where providers have committed not to terminate broadband 
services to any residential or small business customers because 
of an inability to pay their bills among other commitments, 
along with temporary modifications to existing Universal 
Service Fund (USF) programs to support the surging demand for 
Internet service. These commitments have been done with some 
inconvenience and cost to those making the pledge and I 
appreciate that.
    The bipartisan CARES Act also provided Federal resources to 
broadband-related programs in response to COVID-19. For 
example, the FCC received $200 million for a telehealth program 
that is designed to provide immediate assistance to eligible 
health-care providers to support their broadband needs. The 
CARES Act also provided $13 billion to the Department of 
Education to support distance learning. These resources can be 
used to ensure students have access to broadband, digital 
devices, and other equipment to continue their learning from 
home.
    Today's hearing is an opportunity to discuss what more can 
be done to address immediate connectivity needs stemming from 
the COVID-19 crisis.
    Critically, efforts to expand broadband access depend upon 
accurately identifying unserved areas and communities. The 
Broadband DATA Act, which was recently signed into law, will 
help provide the FCC with more precise data about where 
broadband is available and where it is not and at what speeds.
    The FCC will soon begin rolling out new and important USF 
programs, such as the 5G Fund. The FCC is currently seeking 
comment on whether to implement the Broadband DATA Act before 
moving forward with the 5G Fund. This program will succeed 
however only if the FCC follows the law. I look forward to 
working with members of this committee and the Appropriations 
Committee to ensure that the Commission has the funding it 
needs to implement the Broadband DATA Act.
    There have also been several legislative proposals in both 
chambers of Congress to prioritize the delivery of broadband 
services during this outbreak.
    I hope witnesses will discuss the merits of these proposals 
and how they will provide immediate relief and connectivity to 
Americans.
    We also need a regulatory framework that fosters investment 
and promotes broadband deployment.
    I look forward to discussing how to ensure all levels of 
government have the appropriate regulatory processes in place 
to promote rather than create barriers to broadband build-out. 
This includes making sure broadband providers have access to 
permits in a timely manner to maintain and upgrade their 
networks to support increased demand for Internet services.
    As more Americans rely on their Internet connections to 
maintain contact with colleagues and loved ones, enhancing 
network security and resiliency is also a top priority for this 
Committee.
    I hope to learn more about how dedicating resources to the 
FCC's newly authorized ``rip and replace'' program, in addition 
to other initiatives, will help keep our networks secure, 
enhance our ability to get Americans back to work, and expand 
broadband access.
    Finally, I wish to thank our country's broadband network 
providers and technicians for their tireless effort to make 
sure Americans stay connected during this pandemic, so thank 
you to all of those individuals. Unlike in other countries, the 
surge in online traffic and bandwidth consumption in the United 
States has not diminished network performance; nor has it 
required the slowing of online services and applications. 
Instead, U.S. providers have been able to meet the growing 
demand, allowing Americans to continue enjoying high-quality 
Internet services throughout this pandemic and that is a fine 
accomplishment.
    So, I thank the witnesses, again, for being here and for 
participating remotely. And with that, I will turn to my dear 
friend and Ranking Member, Senator Cantwell, for her opening 
remarks.
    Senator Cantwell.

               STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON

    Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 
for holding this important hearing. And thank you to our 
witnesses for appearing today, both in person and virtually, to 
discuss solutions. The COVID crisis has made it crystal clear: 
functioning broadband is absolutely necessary for every 
American home. We spent a lot of time in this Committee over 
the past several years talking about the persistent digital 
divide and the harms that come to both our economy and society, 
but we have not done enough to close that divide. And now, we 
are in the middle of a crisis where people who are disconnected 
from school, work, health care, friends, and family, need 
access urgently.
    Staying connected is as critical as ever. And as one of our 
witnesses will say today, Mr. Kimmelman, ``broadband is 
essential, but right now it's without universal access.''
    It's no wonder that according to Pew Research, the majority 
of Americans now consider broadband connectivity to be 
essential in their lives. And yet millions of American families 
still do not have access to this essential service.
    The FCC reports that at least 18 million Americans lack 
access to broadband and support the number--suspect the number 
is significantly higher. Millions of Americans have Internet 
connections that can support essential applications and 
software for remote learning, but there are many who cannot. 
And the glaring disparities between those who cannot now afford 
to deliver those services into the home because of cost is also 
something this Committee should consider.
    That is why we must address our short-term emergency needs 
and also invest in closing the digital divide.
    To put it into perspective, the Pew Research nationally 
showed that 35 percent households with school-aged children and 
annual incomes below $30,000 do not have access to high-speed 
Internet at home. Twenty-five percent of African-American homes 
and 23 percent of Hispanic homes with school-aged children do 
not have access to high-speed Internet at home.
    And in the state of Washington, more than two-thirds of our 
school districts responded to a recent survey showing that some 
of the families could just simply not afford broadband 
services. Statewide, 16 percent of families with children had 
no access to broadband. And the Spokane School District 
recently did a survey of 34 different schools and found varying 
degrees of connectivity and concerns by teachers about who 
could fully engage in distance learning.
    That's why I want to thank Senator Markey for his tireless 
efforts to close the homework gap. I'm proud to be a co-sponsor 
of legislation that he has for emergency FCC E-Rate funding to 
address this need and try to close the gap.
    And also COVID has demonstrated the importance of 
healthcare during this crisis. COVID-19 has changed the 
healthcare delivery system. Primary care physicians are closing 
their offices around the country to inpatient care. People are 
afraid to go to the hospital to seek out necessary care because 
of the infection. So telehealth has become the best way to 
protect the public during the COVID crisis. And clinics in my 
state have transitioned to using telehealth as the first 
contact with each patient.
    In fact, some clinics in my state report around 90 percent 
of their initial contacts with patients now occur online. That 
is why it's so important to make sure that people have access 
to broadband if our healthcare delivery system, in initial 
contacts, are going to move in that direction.
    The CDC recommends that health clinics throughout the 
country use remote contact with patients as their first line of 
defense for COVID-19. But that only works if those clinics and 
those patients have broadband. A recent Brookings report cited 
the lack of broadband or insufficient broadband service to 
support remote diagnostics as a key barrier to widespread use 
of telehealth.
    So I want to again thank some of our colleagues, Senator 
Schatz, who has been leading the charge to support a telehealth 
package as part of the next COVID round of packages. And we 
need to make sure that these services are widely available, 
allowing patients to access the care they need.
    The added benefit for doctors is they can actually care for 
more patients in a day, take the pressure off of their 
colleagues who are dealing with the COVID crisis.
    So, broadband also can help with the understanding of 
COVID-19. The FCC has already compared health outcomes like 
diabetes with broadband availability, and I want to thank 
Senator Rosen for her work pressing the FCC to study additional 
issues like maternal health outcomes and other issues related 
to broadband availability.
    And last, Mr. Chairman, I wanted to bring up Indian 
Country. This represents a nearly 27 percent point gap in non-
tribal to tribal areas when it comes to broadband access. This 
gap only widens according to a report by the FCC, that when 31 
percent of households on tribal land lack access to high-speed 
broadband compared to 7 percent in non-tribal areas.
    So I want to thank my colleagues Senators Udall and Tester 
for their continued work in delivering broadband to Indian 
Country. And it's clear, we have to make sure that new tools 
are put in place to make up for the shortfalls that we 
currently see. Broadband connectivity can be a great equalizer 
in this country. But if access is not there, then we can see 
right here and now during the COVID crisis, the challenges to 
our education system, our healthcare system, and just basic 
contact with family and loved ones.
    So I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today in 
what we can do to close this gap immediately. Thank you, Mr. 
Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Cantwell. We'll begin our 
testimony with accepting the full statements from all four of 
our witnesses, they will be included in their entirety in the 
record at this point and we'll ask each witness to summarize 
his or her testimony in approximately 5 minutes beginning with 
Mr. Steven Berry.
    Mr. Berry you are recognized.

  STATEMENT OF STEVEN K. BERRY, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
           OFFICER, COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION

    Mr. Berry. Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell and 
Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to 
testify about how Competitive Carriers have gone above and 
beyond to keep Americans connected during the COVID-19 
pandemic. CCA is the Nation's leading association for 
competitive wireless providers. Our members range from small, 
rural carriers serving less than 5,000 customers, regional and 
nationwide providers serving millions of customers.
    As the country faces the largest public health crisis of 
our lifetime, I am proud of how CCA members have worked to 
maintain connectivity in the face of unprecedented demand for 
telecommunication services across every aspect of day-to-day 
life as economic, educational, health and social connections 
move online to stay connected, while staying apart. Tethering 
use is up significantly and one CCA member reported educational 
app usage up nearly 150 percent.
    Despite the increase in network usage, I can report that 
Competitive Carriers have proven to be up to the task, and they 
have taken extraordinary measures to maintain connectivity. I 
also applaud the FCC for helping carriers temporarily tap into 
a pool of unutilized spectrum to meet these demands. I hope 
this experience will encourage additional innovative uses of 
spectrum partitioning and disaggregation going forward.
    Of course, networks cannot function without the men and 
women who work every day to preserve and expand mobile 
broadband services. It is imperative to keep these 
professionals safe and healthy to maintain connectivity for all 
and they must have reliable access to PPE.
    And to help their customers, many CCA members signed on to 
the FCC's Keep Americans Connected pledge to waive late fees 
and maintain service.
    Whether signatories to the pledge or not, CCA members of 
all sizes are helping their communities stay connected by 
offering billing credits, adding additional data capacity, 
standing up new sites to provide service for educational use, 
and even working with local health centers to develop triage 
applications. After all, CCA members have been a vital part of 
their communities for years, and that's just what you do for 
your friends and neighbors. These efforts come at no immediate 
cost to consumers, but can draw significant resources from the 
carriers providing these services.
    To be candid, carriers, especially small carriers, are 
experiencing many of the same economic challenges as every 
small business. As the national emergency continues, consumers 
may accrue significant balances on accounts for communication 
services.
    To assist these consumers, CCA supports the Stay Connected 
voucher proposal. The Stay Connected voucher is the missing 
element to help consumers remain connected, without later 
facing bill shock and undue hardships. It's a technology 
neutral approach that empowers consumers by giving them the 
ability to determine which services are most important during 
these difficult times. And importantly, it builds on Congress's 
work in the CARES Act itself, and would not require new 
eligibility or verification processes.
    The pandemic has underscored the significant disconnect 
experience between those on the wrong side of the digital 
divide. To bridge this divide, policymakers must focus on 
updating our Nation's mobile broadband coverage maps.
    I congratulate Chairman Wicker and this Committee for your 
work to enact the bipartisan Broadband DATA Act. The FCC should 
begin immediately to work to implement the mobile provisions of 
the law as directed by Congress and use newly collected data to 
guide the proposed $9 billion 5G program.
    Finally, our networks must be secure. Thank you for your 
efforts to create the Secure and Trusted Communication Networks 
Reimbursement Program. We joined with Chairman Pai in urging 
Congress to fully fund this program to provide carriers with 
the resources necessary to maintain connectivity for the 
customers while complying with the National Security 
directives. The lack of funding is huge. It's a huge impediment 
to achieving this priority.
    As our Nation shifts from relief to recovery, all Americans 
are facing challenging times, but it's very clear connectivity 
is critical and worth additional investment, especially in 
rural America. And CCA stands ready to work with you. And thank 
you for the opportunity to testify and I welcome your 
questions.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Berry follows:]

 Prepared Statement of Steven K. Berry, President and Chief Executive 
               Officer, Competitive Carriers Association
    Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and Members of the 
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify about how 
competitive carriers have gone above and beyond to keep Americans 
connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    I am testifying on behalf of Competitive Carriers Association 
(``CCA''), the Nation's leading association for competitive wireless 
providers. CCA is composed of nearly 100 carrier members ranging from 
small, rural providers serving fewer than 5,000 customers to regional 
and nationwide providers serving millions of customers, as well as 
vendors and suppliers that provide products and services throughout the 
mobile communications ecosystem.
    As the country comes together to face the largest public health 
crisis of our lifetime, it is now painfully clear that there are many 
areas of the country where more work needs to be done to provide and 
extend wireless services. We cannot ignore the undeniable fact that the 
digital divide persists, both in terms of areas of the country without 
access to broadband and in individual consumers' ability to maintain 
broadband connections in this challenging economic climate. Broadband 
access has been put to its greatest test as a vast swath of the 
country--and world--is under stay-at-home orders. Unfortunately, we 
have confirmed nearly overnight that access to broadband is imperative 
to support all aspects of everyday life, from distance learning to 
remote work, healthcare, grocery shopping, family and virtual social 
gatherings, and more.
    I am proud of how CCA members have worked to maintain connectivity 
in the face of an unprecedented transformation in how and where 
consumers are using telecommunications services. Our members have seen 
significant increases in network traffic reflecting seismic shifts 
across critical aspects of day-to-day life, as economic, educational, 
health, and social connections move online to stay connected while 
apart. Despite the increase in network usage, I can report that 
competitive carriers have proven to be up to the task and have taken 
extraordinary measures to maintain connectivity to serve these demands. 
Additionally, CCA members have taken steps to work with their 
customers, through formal processes and on a person-to-person basis, to 
maintain services even when customers face financial hardships. After 
all, CCA members have a well-deserved reputation for putting customers 
first and have been a vital part of their communities for years, and 
that is what you do for your friends and neighbors.
    While it is important to focus today on the steps being taken to 
maintain connectivity for those where services are available, we must 
also recognize how the pandemic has confirmed the significant 
disconnect experienced by those on the wrong side of the digital 
divide. New network planning has slowed substantially, and carriers are 
facing new challenges navigating the permitting process at state and 
local levels due to the pandemic. CCA stands ready to continue to work 
with Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (``FCC'') to 
preserve and expand the latest mobile broadband services throughout the 
nation, both to support continued relief during the current health 
crisis and to promote recovery going forward with expansion of wireless 
connectivity and the deployment of 5G.
Maintaining Connectivity During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    All carriers have experienced increased network use over the last 
few months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased network 
utilization for mobile broadband networks has also included a shift in 
where traffic occurs and the type of use, with greater traffic in 
residential areas as we all have complied with directions to stay home. 
CCA members have reported overall increases in data traffic and notable 
increases tied to certain categories, including messaging, food 
delivery applications, gaming, and video streaming. Tethering use is up 
significantly, and one CCA member reported educational app usage up 
nearly 150 percent. Even in cases where the number of voice calls has 
declined, the average length of calls has increased, as Americans are 
using communications services to stay connected.
    Recognizing the financial hardship faced by so many during these 
challenging times, many CCA members have signed on to the FCC's Keep 
Americans Connected Pledge. Signatories to the Pledge have agreed not 
to terminate service for residential or small business customers 
because of their inability to pay due to the disruptions caused by the 
coronavirus pandemic, and to waive any late fees that these customers 
incur. Whether signatories to the Pledge or not, CCA members of all 
sizes are taking extraordinary steps to help their communities respond 
to the crisis. Beyond the pledge, I have heard from members who are 
providing bill credits, additional data capacity, standing up new sites 
to provide service for educational use, and even working with local 
health centers to develop triage applications that can provide vital 
information to citizens if they believe they are experiencing symptoms 
of COVID-19. Many CCA members automatically increased speeds and data 
allocations anticipating the enhanced demand. Crews have been working 
around the clock to enhance connectivity to schools, healthcare 
facilities, government offices and many businesses faced with remote 
work challenges. In fact, in polling CCA members recently regarding 
whether they signed on to the FCC's Pledge, one carrier responded yes, 
but that they found it unnecessary as they were going to work with and 
make accommodations for any affected customer regardless of the Pledge. 
These efforts come at no immediate cost to customers but can draw 
significant resources from the carriers providing these services. To be 
candid, small carriers that serve rural areas are experiencing many of 
the same economic challenges as every small business. These carriers 
want to help keep staff on payroll, keep networks up and running, and 
help keep their customers connected. But reduced revenues are starting 
to have a real impact and add strain on their ability to do all three.
    I applaud the FCC for taking decisive action by working with 
carriers facing unprecedented capacity demands to supplement their 
networks by temporarily tapping into a pool of unutilized spectrum. Due 
to the FCC's prompt grant of Special Temporary Authority (``STA'') 
licensing, carriers were immediately able to enhance capacity and 
coverage by deploying these additional airwaves. I thank CCA members 
large and small who cooperated in this process, either by agreeing to 
lease spectrum to other carriers, including competitors, where it was 
needed or who leveraged these arrangements to best support Americans' 
urgent need for connectivity. Through this cooperative effort that 
showcased the public and private sectors at their best, carriers put 
the spectrum to work, sometimes within days, to provide consumers with 
additional capacity and increased speeds. I am optimistic that this 
experience will encourage additional innovative uses of spectrum 
partitioning and disaggregation going forward, especially in rural 
areas.
    Of course, networks cannot function without the men and women who 
work every day to preserve and expand mobile broadband services, 
including tower technicians, engineers, retail employees, call center 
workers, and those who support Network Operations Centers (``NOCs''). 
Like many other industries, wireless carriers have rapidly transitioned 
as many workers as possible to work from home, placing the health and 
wellbeing of their employees first. But not all functions can be 
completed remotely, and CCA member's employees have had to improvise 
and innovate to ensure that their communities remain connected. I have 
always said that competitive carriers are innovators, and this has been 
true from a customer service standpoint in recent weeks, as members 
have converted to curb-side or drive-through service to provide 
customers with new devices or repairs and even added leveraged services 
like PayPal, through gift cards purchased at convenience or grocery 
stores, to process cash payments for customers even when retail 
locations are shuttered.
    In recognition of the critical and essential work of these 
professionals who have continued to interface with the public, staff 
NOCs, and perform emergency operations to ensure network connectivity 
remains smooth and secure, I appreciate the inclusion of communications 
workers in the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency's Advisory Memorandum on Identification 
of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response. 
Permitting these essential professionals to have access to the 
facilities needed to keep network services up and operating. And the 
issuance of Federal guidance on the essential status of communications 
personnel was extremely helpful in helping our members navigate varied 
state and local access requirements.
    It is imperative that carriers have the means to keep this skilled 
workforce employed. Keeping these essential professionals safe and 
healthy is pivotal to maintaining wireless networks and ultimately 
sustaining connectivity for consumers. Like many Americans, the 
communications sector has scrambled to find sufficient Personal 
Protective Equipment (``PPE''). Normal supply chains for masks, hand 
sanitizer, wipes, disinfectant spray and even tissues have been 
disrupted or discontinued as supplies are redirected to frontline 
health care workers and first responders.
    CCA has leveraged our membership in the Communications Sector 
Coordinating Council (``CSCC'') to help our members mitigate the 
challenge of obtaining PPE. Through the CSCC, the telecommunications 
sector as a whole was able to secure PPE in the form of re-usable 
cotton masks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (``FEMA''). 
At a time when PPE is scarce, obtaining this valuable resource will 
help CCA members maintain network operations and consumer connectivity.
    FEMA guidance issued in April for non-health care sectors indicates 
it is unlikely they will provide additional PPE. Rather, they direct 
carriers to their regular supply chains, and then to state and local 
resources if they are unsuccessful. Efforts to reopen society and the 
economy will be dependent on essential workers, like communications 
professionals, having secure, uninterrupted access to PPE. CCA members 
continue to prioritize the health and safety of their employees as 
paramount as stay-at-home regulations begin to ease to ensure continued 
connectivity and the health of their workforce.
Keeping Americans Connected Going Forward
    While many actions taken by carriers addressed above are at no 
immediate cost to consumers, they are not free and have costs to 
providers. As the national emergency continues, those who are unable to 
pay their bills in in full or on time may accrue significant balances 
on accounts for communications services. To address these concerns, CCA 
supports the Stay Connected Voucher proposal. The Stay Connected 
Voucher would help customers remain connected without later facing bill 
shock, undue hardship, and potentially negative impact to their credit. 
It is a technology-neutral approach that empowers consumers by giving 
them the ability to determine which services are most important to them 
during these difficult times. Importantly, it builds on Congress's work 
in the CARES Act and so would not require new eligibility or 
verification processes. Briefly, here's how it would work:
    Qualified households would receive two $50 vouchers during each 
month of the declared COVID-19 crisis to apply to communications 
services bills or at the point of sale. Vouchers would expire six 
months after the end of the emergency period. Eligible consumers could 
choose to apply their vouchers to one or more communications providers, 
according to their household's unique communications needs--broadband, 
mobile, video, or voice. Further empowering consumers, vouchers could 
be used separately (one for each of two different providers) or 
combined to pay a single provider. The vouchers could be used for 
prepaid or postpaid services. Upon receipt of a voucher from an 
eligible consumer, providers would redeem the voucher for reimbursement 
from a fund established by the voucher legislation.
    Every household with an individual that received a full rebate 
check under the CARES Act would receive the vouchers. By building on 
the CARES Act, the voucher program also recognizes that the economic 
strain imposed by the emergency is being felt by a wide range of 
households beyond those served by the traditional support programs. 
Using the CARES Act model also avoids the need to create new 
eligibility and verification processes. The program would also utilize 
the existing distribution mechanism that Treasury has set up for CARES 
Act checks.
    The Stay Connected Voucher Program would be implemented and 
administered by the FCC, but the program would complement and not 
replace efforts to expand the existing Lifeline and E-rate programs, 
which focus on low-income households. Many consumers impacted by the 
pandemic are not eligible to participate in these programs. Likewise, 
Stay Connected would complement other efforts to provide more targeted 
support, including the Keeping Critical Connections Act.
    The current crisis calls for creative solutions. CCA believes that 
the Stay Connected Voucher Program meets this objective. Congress 
turned to a voucher program to help consumers navigate the transition 
from analog digital television. That experience can serve as a model, 
tailored to today's needs. Respectfully, we urge the Committee to give 
it serious attention and would be happy to work with you to address any 
questions you may have.
Bridging the Digital Divide
    As previously discussed, the current emergency has revealed the 
extent to which society has become increasingly dependent on 
communications services for telework, telehealth, distance learning, 
and critical connections with friends and loved ones. This shift has 
underscored the imperative need to close the digital divide. To do so, 
policymakers in Congress and the FCC must focus on updating our 
Nation's mobile broadband coverage maps, reform deployment policies to 
support a 5G future, and provide resources to ensure that ubiquitous 
mobile services are available in urban and rural areas alike.
    I congratulate Chairman Wicker, the Commerce Committee, and 
Congress for your work to enact the Broadband DATA Act into law this 
year. It is impossible to solve any problem without knowing its 
contours, and this overwhelmingly bipartisan law is critical to 
identifying the areas that do, and do not, have reliable mobile 
broadband coverage. The FCC should begin work immediately to implement 
the mobile provisions of the law in accordance with the Congressional 
mandate, and in any event prior to moving forward with determining 
which areas will receive support for the next decade. The FCC is 
currently considering options for a $9 billion 5G Fund that either 
would rush forward without updating coverage data to identify areas 
lacking unsubsidized mobile service, or would insert unnecessary delay 
as the FCC works to collect new, more reliable data but postponing 
distributing support for years. These options are a false choice, and I 
strongly urge the FCC to expeditiously implement the mobile provisions 
of the Broadband DATA Act in accordance with the mandate from Congress 
while keeping the auction for support on a reasonable timeline.
    Armed with reliable data on where mobile broadband services are 
available, we must continue to support processes for carriers to 
preserve, expand, and upgrade mobile services, particularly as wireless 
networks transition to 5G. CCA strongly supports ongoing review of the 
regulatory steps that are required to upgrade existing infrastructure 
or deploy new services, including requirements and best practices 
regarding historical and environmental review, compound expansion, and 
power delivery. As state and local resources are strained from pandemic 
response efforts, any steps that streamline processes and appropriately 
tailor fees present win-win scenarios for state and local officials and 
carriers seeking to deploy services. Deployment on Federal lands 
continues to be a persistent problem and should not be a roadblock 
preventing access to wireless services in rural and tribal communities.
    Finally, as our Nation shifts from relief to recovery, 
Congressional efforts should support providing additional resources to 
support mobile broadband deployment. Any recovery package should 
include significant funding to deploy the digital infrastructure that 
will power our economy going forward. This investment will support job 
growth and expanded connectivity so that our Nation remains competitive 
and has the required network functionality in place to deal with 
challenges in the future.
Increased Access to Spectrum
    As previously noted, I commend the FCC for steps to make additional 
spectrum available during the pandemic through STAs and leasing 
agreements. This has helped carriers meet immediate demands. However, 
as states reopen and economic activity resumes, network usage will not 
decline. Competitive carriers needed access to additional spectrum 
resources before the pandemic to keep up with consumer demands and 
enable advanced connectivity for future generations of technologies and 
services.
    To meet these spectrum needs, policymakers must embrace an all-of-
the-above approach, and specifically:

   Ensure competitive access to mid-band spectrum, including 
        upcoming auctions of CBRS and C-Band spectrum.

   Identify additional spectrum bands that can be reallocated 
        for mobile use, including looking at Federal spectrum holdings 
        to ensure all spectrum is used efficiently.

   Include reasonable aggregation limits to promote 
        participation in auctions and competition in the market.

   Require interoperability within spectrum bands to promote 
        economies of scale and competition.

    I commend this Committee for previous work to support increased 
access to spectrum for mobile use, and CCA stands ready to continue as 
a partner in those efforts.
Securing Communications Networks
    I would be remiss if I did not mention the critical need for our 
Nation's communications networks to be secure. While many competitive 
carriers are taking steps to ensure their communities remain connected 
during the pandemic, continuity of service can be particularly 
challenging for those who are ``on-the-clock'' to remove covered 
network elements that are deemed to pose security risks and replace 
them with alternative equipment. CCA thanks Congress for creating the 
Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and 
commends your work to enact the Secure and Trusted Communications 
Networks Act this year. We join with FCC Chairman Pai in urging 
Congress to fully fund this program to provide these carriers with the 
resources necessary to maintain connectivity for their customers while 
completing the steps required by Congress. While all carriers want to 
comply with national security directives, the lack of funding to begin 
the enormous task of removing covered equipment from networks is a huge 
impediment to achieving this priority. While our Nation works 
internationally to encourage our allies to implement similar national 
security telecommunications policies, the United States must show the 
way and provide critical funding for this effort. We all want solutions 
to these challenges, and funding the Secure and Trusted Communications 
Networks Reimbursement Program is imperative. As this process moves 
forward, I urge policymakers to provide carriers with clear guidance 
regarding the national security needs for communications networks.
    Further, as I have previously discussed with this committee, 5G 
wireless services provide increased potential to transfer network 
services from physical equipment to software, and new technologies are 
increasingly coming to the market, including Open Radio Access Network 
equipment. We find ourselves at a unique junction of challenge and 
opportunity, with the onset of a new generation of technology meeting 
the need to secure our networks for the future. These new 
opportunities, with the potential to disaggregate functionality to 
increase efficiency and reduce costs, should be explored, without 
mandating specific technologies for carriers.
                               * * * * *
    We are all facing unprecedented times, but those who are on the 
fortunate side of the digital divide have maintained many aspects of 
life through their broadband connections. CCA stands ready to work with 
you to ensure that all Americans have the ability to benefit from the 
latest mobile services today and the potential of 5G in the years 
ahead.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify at this important hearing, 
and I welcome any questions.

    The Chairman. Thank you very much, Mr. Berry. Next the 
Committee will hear from Ms. Shirley Bloomfield, Chief 
Executive Officer, NTCA--The Rural Broadband Association.
    And this is a big room and you're clear down at the other 
end. So if all of us could speak directly into the microphones 
that would help folks like me.

   STATEMENT OF SHIRLEY BLOOMFIELD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, 
             NTCA--THE RURAL BROADBAND ASSOCIATION

    Ms. Bloomfield. Excellent. Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member 
Cantwell and Members of the Committee, we are delighted to be 
able to testify before you here today, I'm Shirley Bloomfield, 
the CEO of NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association. We represent 
about 850 community-based carriers across the country, who are 
small broadband providers, as well as small businesses in 45 
states.
    The pandemic has highlighted more than ever that robust and 
reliable broadband is essential for everyday life. And even in 
this time of crisis, the stories of selflessness and creative 
acts by NTCA members serve to me as a constant reminder that 
when the going gets tough, the tough get innovating. So thanks 
to their community commitment, and their entrepreneurial spirit 
and the support of this committee, as well as agencies like the 
FCC and RUS, NTCA's community-based providers were well-
prepared to keep Americans connected during a crisis.
    That's because NTCA members have led the charge in building 
future-proof broadband networks for years, with over 60 percent 
of the rural customers having access to fiber connectivity in 
speeds in excess of 100 megabits.
    As hometown providers, it's not surprising that more than 
half of the signers of the FCC's Chairman pledge to ``Keep 
Americans Connected'' are NTCA members. And so many have gone 
above and beyond that pledge in terms of keeping their 
families, their friends, and their neighbors connected.
    Smart rural community carriers from Big Bend in Texas who 
is extending their fiber network to students' homes, to Golden 
Belt Co-op in Kansas working with school administrators to 
connect over 100 students in 3 days and bump up all their 
consumers to the next tier of service for free. To ATMC in 
North Carolina who immediately offered broadband at no cost to 
households with students, including college students who 
previously had no connectivity.
    And then there's the hundreds and hundreds of hotspots, the 
Wi-Fi connectivity that have been rolled out into these 
communities. And that's just a tiny sampling of what NTCA 
members are doing to help ensure that their rural communities 
are able to navigate the many difficulties brought on by this 
pandemic. And despite the pandemic, members report that they're 
hoping to hold fast to plans for continuing to deploy new 
broadband, the infrastructure that they'd already plan to roll 
out, but challenges certainly persist.
    NTCA providers are doing everything they can to keep 
everybody's Internet lights on. But to do that they need to 
keep their own lights on. An increasing number of customers are 
becoming unable to pay for service and members are concerned 
about their ability to repay loans and purchase critical 
supplies like routers, fiber, or backbone access to the 
internet. And of course, they have to pay their own employees 
as well. None of these costs are things that they can simply 
barter away or ignore.
    Speaking of employees, sourcing personal protective 
equipment, as Steve mentioned, continues to be a struggle. It's 
critical for our members to obtain access to masks, 
disinfectant wipes, gloves, and hand sanitizers, especially if 
anybody wants to reopen the economy. Concerns about delays in 
the supply chain for equipment could also hinder deployment 
plans later this year.
    We've also encountered frustration when it comes to the 
Paycheck Protection Program. While this program offers helpful 
promise, there's still confusion among stakeholders on whether 
certain kinds of small businesses such as cooperatives actually 
even qualify. To help with some of these challenges, NTCA 
recommends that Congress view the challenges ahead as requiring 
a mix of near-term and longer term solutions.
    In the near-term, we need both to make sure that those who 
are not currently connected get connected. And also to make 
sure that those who are connected can stay connected. We 
applaud the FCC for taking quick action to make its USF 
programs more accessible to those in need, and expanded 
emergency broadband benefits for consumers in distress will 
certainly help.
    But these steps alone will not keep every American 
connected. We therefore also encourage Congress to pass the 
Keeping Critical Connections Act, which was introduced by 
Senators Klobuchar and Cramer, this bipartisan, bicameral bill 
which has 30 senate cosponsors, including nine members of this 
Committee, would create a temporary emergency fund to keep 
Americans connected during the pandemic.
    In the longer term, Congress should adopt a forever 
connected perspective when it comes to promoting broadband. 
From the Alaskan Bush to the Mississippi Delta, no American 
should get second class broadband service or worse yet, no 
service at all.
    While NTCA appreciates the broadband infrastructures ideas 
that continue to be put fourth, we believe the best approach is 
to avoid creating new programs and to instead leverage the 
existing broadband programs that have been improved upon as 
time has gone on.
    NTCA recommends five simple principles to guide a forever 
connected approach.
    First, leverage existing broadband programs to get the most 
immediate return on investment, while also avoiding confusion 
and potential interagency conflicts. Second, prevent 
duplication of scarce Federal resources by requiring all 
agencies to strictly coordinate use of their programs. Three, 
require all agencies to use updated broadband maps and 
meaningful challenge processes to ensure that unserved areas 
are accurately identified and served. Four, invest in 
technology that can be easily upgraded to deliver the fastest 
speeds over the long-term life of the asset.
    We certainly wouldn't use our highway program to create a 
two-lane road when we know that an eight-lane highway is what 
is going to be needed five-to-10 years down the road. We should 
approach broadband infrastructure the same way. Remember on 
number five that any program must focus not only on building 
the broadband network itself, but also sustaining that network 
over time once it's actually been built.
    We're all in this together and the work that Congress is 
doing will be essential to see us through this crisis and make 
a lasting impact for future generations to come. Thank you so 
much for the opportunity to join you today. And I look forward 
to your questions.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Bloomfield follows:]

  Prepared Statement of Shirley Bloomfield, Chief Executive Officer, 
                 NTCA--The Rural Broadband Association
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
    Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the 
Committee, thank you for this opportunity to testify today to discuss 
the incredible work our small, community-based broadband providers are 
doing to both connect rural Americans and keep rural Americans 
connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    I am Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA-The Rural Broadband 
Association, which represents approximately 850 small businesses 
deploying broadband infrastructure in 45 states.
    These cooperatives and small commercial companies serve the most 
rural parts of the United States, reaching areas that contain less than 
five percent of the U.S. population, but which are spread across nearly 
35 percent of the U.S. landmass, or roughly seven subscribers per 
square mile.
    The hearing today is well-timed. Now more than ever before, 
Americans realize just how essential high-speed broadband is to our 
everyday lives. This pandemic has highlighted that having the 
connectivity enabled by high-speed download and equally important 
upload speeds in your home is one of the most important elements of 
everyday life. For years, NTCA members have seen that high-speed 
broadband facilitates so much more than just streaming video 
entertainment or playing video games. Having broadband means having the 
ability to connect to your doctor when you have a high fever without 
traveling to the office or hospital; it's the ability for students to 
continue their education even when the classroom is hundreds of miles 
away or just right down the street but shut; it's the ability for 
people to continue receiving paychecks by working remotely using secure 
and bandwidth-intensive virtual private networks; and it's the ability 
for all of us to maintain social interactions with our loved ones 
during these trying times.
    Thanks in part to the hard work of this Committee and programs like 
the FCC's Universal Service High-Cost Program, NTCA's smaller, 
community-based broadband providers were well-prepared to keep 
Americans connected during a pandemic through robust networks sized to 
meet future demand and a spirit of customer service that is second to 
none.
COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS HELPING STRUGGLING CONSUMERS AND COMMUNITIES
    The COVID-19 pandemic has altered society as we know it. All of us 
understand that regardless of how quickly we may come out of stay-at-
home orders and evolve in social distancing practices, Americans are 
witnessing a shift in the conduct of everyday lives and new ways of 
doing so many things.
    Today, communities across America are struggling to battle new 
realities unfathomable just a few months ago. While 33.5 million 
Americans have filed for unemployment in recent weeks and we are 
rightfully concerned about the health of our families and loved ones, 
the daily stories of selfless acts and community service we see on the 
news serve as constant reminders that when the going gets tough, the 
tough get innovating.
    I have never been prouder of NTCA's membership than I have over the 
past several months. As ``hometown providers'' based largely in the 
areas they serve, their community commitment in the face of the 
coronavirus pandemic has been heartening. We estimate that more than 
half of the signers of FCC Chairman Pai's pledge to ``Keep Americans 
Connected'' are NTCA members--and, in so many cases because of their 
hometown presence, our members have gone above and beyond the terms of 
the pledge to help their families, friends, and neighbors.
    The following are just a few examples of their efforts to get and 
keep homes, schools, libraries, and medical facilities connected in 
rural America:

  1.  Big Bend Telephone (BBT) (Alpine, Texas): BBT Engineering 
        developed a solution to extend school districts' networks to 
        students' homes in a scaled back temporary installation package 
        that provides synchronous connectivity and basic home Wi-Fi. 
        The student experience completely mimics the classroom without 
        actually being in the classroom. All of this has been provided 
        at no cost to the school district or the students' families.

  2.  Rainbow Communications (Everest, Kan.): Rainbow Communications 
        has installed 30 community Wi-Fi hot spots throughout its 
        service area that provide free Internet access to students. The 
        company also increased the Internet plans at the local 
        libraries to accommodate higher usage demand and has worked 
        with school districts to identify and promote improved access 
        for students in need at home.

  3.  NineStar Connect (Greenfield, Ind.): NineStar Connect connected a 
        COVID-19 triage clinic in just three days--a process which 
        usually takes weeks. NineStar also partnered with the hospital 
        to offer customers e-visits to serve more people and reduce 
        risk of infection.

  4.  Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC) (Brainerd, Minn.): To 
        maintain proper social distancing, CTC created ``Broadband in a 
        Box'' where a CTC technician will complete pre-installation 
        tasks outside of the premises and then leave a self-
        installation kit on the customer's doorstep to allow for 
        completion of the activation work. The standardized kit 
        includes step-by-step instructions on how to complete 
        installation and other helpful resources.

  5.  Scott County Telephone Cooperative (SCTC) (Gate City, Va.): SCTC 
        is upgrading broadband connections for any customer with 
        students and/or teachers in the home. The company is also 
        upgrading any displaced workers for free. Additionally, SCTC 
        set up Wi-Fi at 12 locations to provide free access for school 
        age kids, and available to use by all.

    These stories are just a tiny sampling of what our hundreds of 
providers are doing to help their rural communities navigate the many 
difficulties brought on by the pandemic. In the end, whether by pledge 
or by DNA, because they so often live in the small towns and very rural 
areas they serve, NTCA members are simply focused on doing the right 
thing by their customers and community.
    And despite the pandemic, we continue to move full speed ahead on 
deploying new broadband infrastructure. A recent NTCA survey revealed 
that 90 percent of our members remain focused on fulfilling network 
deployment plans this year, and even in the past month, we have heard a 
number are using responsible socially distant practices and the 
relatively lower traffic on roadways to complete as much construction 
activity as possible. This being said, as I will discuss below, some 
concerns are beginning to emerge with respect to the supplies necessary 
to complete this important work.
    Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to note how our members' 
networks have held up in the face of unprecedented shifts in how they 
are used. In a recent survey, 145 NTCA members from 38 states serving 
more than 650,000 broadband connections reported that their networks 
continue to perform as designed and without disruption despite changes 
and increases in demand. Key findings from our network status survey 
include:

   From March 13 (the date that a national emergency was 
        declared) through March 31, members indicated on average their 
        networks experienced:

     23 percent increase in overall downstream bandwidth 
            demand

     24 percent increase in overall upstream bandwidth 
            demand

     21 percent increase in peak downstream bandwidth 
            demand

     21 percent increase in peak upstream bandwidth demand

   An overwhelming majority of respondents (93 percent) 
        indicated no material shift in peak utilization windows, but 
        nearly all respondents stated that the average utilization of 
        their networks is much higher over the course of the day.

   More than 40 percent of respondents reported taking steps 
        since March 13 to augment capacity on middle mile, transit, or 
        other backhaul connections to anticipate and accommodate 
        increased overall demand, but there have been no reports of 
        congestion or disruption arising out of the increased demand.

    In short, as our annual broadband survey has confirmed year after 
year, NTCA members have led the charge in rural broadband for years, 
with over 60 percent of their rural customers have access to fiber-to-
the-premises connectivity and speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. And, as our 
more recent network status survey confirms, these investments have paid 
off by giving rural communities reliable and robust access to broadband 
when they need it most, without congestion or disruption.
CHALLENGES PERSIST
    While NTCA members continue to do their very best to keep their 
friends and neighbors connected, the ability to sustain these efforts 
over time is jeopardized by the devastating economic impacts of COVID-
19. Providers are doing all they can to keep the Internet lights on for 
all, but in order to do that, they need to keep their own lights on as 
well.
    NTCA members are both crucial providers of critical infrastructure 
to millions of Americans in rural America and small businesses that 
face many of the same concerns as other American small businesses. 
Because of this unique status, and because they serve not only small 
rural towns but outlying areas where there may be only one customer 
every few miles, NTCA members and providers like them face some 
relatively significant challenges in sustaining their mission of 
universal service.
Uncollectibles Rising
    It is estimate that approximately 33.5 million Americans have filed 
unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic. It is therefore 
perhaps not surprising that NTCA members report that customers are 
increasingly raising concerns about an inability to pay for their 
communications services in recent weeks; a recent survey of our members 
found that 54 percent of members have seen ``uncollectibles''--unpaid 
accounts receivable--increase by up to 20 percent since March 13 (the 
date that a national emergency was declared), with another 20 percent 
reporting that it was simply too soon to tell what sorts of payment 
shortfalls might arise given billing cycles. To put such impacts into 
perspective, we heard from one rural cooperative who is nearly $60,000 
in the red already in keeping voice and broadband service on for 
customers who have become unable to pay these past several weeks. We 
are in the process of conducting an updated survey of members now to 
determine whether and to what degree these figures may have changed, 
but I have no reason to believe that the situation will have improved 
given the steady and unfortunate increase in unemployment claims 
nationwide.
    To continue delivering critical connectivity to more than a third 
of the Nation's landmass, these smaller rural operators must be able to 
pay suppliers for things like routers and fiber. Our members are seeing 
unprecedented demand for new installations, and this takes not only the 
kinds of innovation I described earlier in terms of installation 
techniques but also the costly network supplies needed to put those 
connections in place. NTCA members also need to pay larger national and 
regional operators for the connections between the very rural markets 
they serve and Internet points of presence around the country--these 
are costs that only grow larger in the face of increased network 
demands as described above, and no one is asking those larger national 
or regional providers to make their backbone and transit capacity 
available for free during the pandemic. Finally, and most importantly, 
they must pay their own employees--the front-line essential workers who 
are being sent out despite the risks to make sure that those without 
voice and broadband services or those in need of upgraded services get 
such access.
Personal Protective Equipment
    Our providers are doing all they can to protect themselves and 
their customers. Many members have moved to work-from-home operations 
for the bulk of their employees, and for even those essential employees 
that must be in the field or at network locations, our members are 
taking care to promote proper distancing and protocols to limit contact 
between employees to the greatest extent possible. Members are also 
taking further precautions when it comes to work in the field. In 
addition to adopting procedures associated with any interaction with 
customers prior to entry of any premises, many of our members are 
finding innovative solutions to connect customers from outside such as 
videoconferencing, self-installation kits, or even temporary drops of 
fiber and conversations through doors and windows to guide customers 
through the process. Indeed, a recent survey showed that, as of mid-
April, more than 25 percent of our members will no longer enter 
households under any circumstances, and I expect that this figure will 
only grow as we survey our members again now.
    However, even with preventative measures in place to limit contact, 
there are many cases where frontline workers have no choice but to 
enter certain locations, whether it is for mission-critical repairs or 
to enable much-needed connectivity at locations such as nursing homes 
and hospitals. For this reason, personal protective equipment (PPE) is 
more important now than ever before.
    Unfortunately, sourcing PPE for employees continues to be a 
struggle. Employee health is of utmost importance to our providers, and 
it is critical that they continue to have the equipment needed such as 
masks, disinfectant wipes, gloves, and hand sanitizer. As small 
businesses, if even just one employee falls ill, depending on exposure, 
this can wreak havoc on operations and disrupt installation and repair 
activity for an entire rural community. We appreciate the efforts of 
Federal and state agencies in attempting to help members locate PPE as 
operators of critical infrastructure, but I am sorry to report that 
this remains a top-level concern and that I hear nearly daily from 
members desperate for masks, sanitizer, or other supplies as the 
pandemic persists.
Paycheck Protection Program
    We thank Congress and the Administration for their work on the 
Paycheck Protection Program. Unfortunately, even as the program could 
be so helpful to small businesses in need, one of our greatest 
frustrations has been the lack of clear public guidance on whether 
501(c)(12) nonprofit cooperatives qualify for the program. As small 
businesses, we wholeheartedly believe these cooperatives fit within the 
Congressional intent of the Paycheck Protection Program, and we ask 
both Congress and the Administration to clarify that these small 
cooperatives are eligible for the program. To be clear, this request is 
urgent and time-sensitive, as the date for declining a program loan and 
returning funds is May 14; while we have been asking for a clear 
affirmative statement--one way or the other--as to cooperative 
eligibility for several weeks now, there only a few days for this to be 
addressed.
Supply Chain
    As mentioned earlier in this testimony, NTCA members are eager to 
do whatever they can to advance broadband network deployment, and many 
of them are doing what they can to move forward with deployment plans 
in 2020. We have started to hear, however, of concerns regarding the 
timing of their supply chain. In particular, for key pieces of network 
transmission equipment and routers necessary for installation and 
activation of services at customer premises, we are hearing that 
suppliers are beginning to ration distributions and that lead times are 
growing from weeks to months for delivery.
    This obviously presents a significant challenge in executing on 
immediate capital investment plans for individual operators, but it 
also has the potential to become a national crisis--it would be ironic 
indeed for Congress and Federal agencies to pour billions of dollars 
into broadband infrastructure only to find that the gear necessary to 
meet buildout milestones and deployment goals will be delayed far 
beyond anyone's reasonable expectations.
HOW CONGRESS CAN HELP
    NTCA believes it is most effective to conceive of potential 
responses to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis in the 
form of near-term and longer-term measures. In the near-term, we need 
both to make sure that those who are not yet connected get connected 
and to make sure that those who are connected today stay connected. In 
the longer-term, we need to think about how we can develop a coherent 
and coordinated national broadband infrastructure policy so that we are 
not back here again someday, staring at the next crisis and wondering 
why some customers lack broadband altogether, why other customers have 
unreliable access that does not enable effective use of virtual private 
networks or distance learning platforms, and why still other customers 
might have access to robust, future-proof networks but lack the ability 
to afford services atop those networks.
Near-Term Initiatives
    First, to help those who are unable to afford a connection get and 
keep one, an emergency broadband program should be established that 
provides financial support for consumers facing economic hardship due 
to the coronavirus pandemic. This program should provide a specified 
amount of funding per month for each such consumer during the pandemic, 
and for a period thereafter reflecting the likelihood of a lingering 
economic crisis, to allow that customer to purchase a broadband service 
at a speed and performance level of his or her choosing. To this end, 
we applaud the FCC for taking quick action to make its Universal 
Service Fund Lifeline programs more accessible to those in need. But 
with rural areas having higher costs to deliver broadband services, and 
with the prospect that even a Lifeline subsidy or something like it may 
not cover the full cost of a broadband bill for any given consumer, 
more is needed to ensure we can keep every American connected.
    Second, in addition and as a complement to an emergency broadband 
benefit program for lower-income consumers, Congress should provide 
funding to help ensure that all customers can remain connected. For 
example, some customers who just recently lost jobs or suffer from 
reduced wages may not qualify for the emergency benefit described above 
but still face difficulty paying their broadband bills; similarly, 
health care providers, students, and small business customers covered 
by the FCC Chairman's pledge would not necessarily be eligible for such 
a program despite also desperately needing connectivity. Moreover, even 
those broadband customers that do qualify for the emergency benefit 
program may find that the amount of support received does not cover the 
full amount of their broadband bill (especially if the customer decides 
that he or she needs a more expensive higher-speed service for work or 
distance learning), leaving those customers still very much at risk for 
a loss or downgrade of service. Creating a program that provides 
dedicated funding to ``help cover'' bills that go unpaid by such 
broadband users therefore represents a logical and necessary complement 
to the emergency benefit program described above, and is ultimately 
essential to help ensure that broadband providers can ``keep the 
Internet lights on'' throughout this crisis and keep Americans 
connected consistent with the goals of FCC Chairman Pai's laudable 
pledge.
    S. 3569, The Keeping Critical Connections Act, introduced by Sens. 
Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, represents 
the kind of measure that could work very well as complement to an 
emergency broadband benefit program for consumers suffering from 
economic hardship due to the crisis. This bipartisan, bicameral bill, 
which to date has 30 Senate sponsors including nine members of this 
Committee, would direct the FCC to create a temporary emergency fund 
for reimbursing small broadband providers only when an operator: (1) 
provides households with students with free or discounted broadband or 
free upgrades to meet distance learning needs; or (2) keeps low-income 
customers connected who cannot pay their broadband bill due to the 
economic impact of the COVID-19 national emergency. NTCA requests that 
Congress include this legislation in any upcoming stimulus bills 
related to the pandemic. Companion bi-partisan legislation has also 
been introduced in the House (H.R. 6394) by Reps. Peter Welch of 
Vermont and Roger Marshall of Kansas.
    Third, Congress should give additional flexibility to providers 
struggling to repay outstanding loans issued by the United States 
Department of Agriculture's Rural Utility Service Program (RUS). 
Options such as the ability to fully refinance RUS loans at the current 
interest rate and a congressionally directed blanket suspension of 
principal and interest payments for several months would help alleviate 
the pain and strain that many providers will face due to reduced 
revenues from customers using those providers' voice and broadband 
services.
    Fourth, Congress should finish last year's hard work by fully 
funding Chairman Wicker's Broadband DATA Act as well as the Secure and 
Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019. Both pieces of legislation 
are critical for the future of our broadband programs, and Congress and 
the President have already of course recognized their immense value by 
enacting and signing them into law. The final steps now must be taken 
to fund these efforts.
    Finally, providers have learned a lot about network resiliency 
during these times. While NTCA contends that fiber-based infrastructure 
has outperformed other technologies, we have also seen the strain third 
parties can place on our rural networks. As Congress looks toward the 
future of how networks handle increased demand during times of crisis, 
we believe the outside sources of congestion and strain on rural 
networks should be studied. To this end, NTCA recommends that Congress 
direct the preparation of a study to assess how different services and 
applications and web-enabled businesses place data demands on networks 
and the costs that follow from accommodating such demands.
A Long-Term `Forever Connected' Broadband Plan
    As for the long-term--the question is how do we avoid ending up 
here again, where some rural customers still lack sufficient broadband? 
While NTCA is proud of our members for providing hotspots and other 
innovative ideas such as drive-in Wi-Fi in the face of the immediate 
crisis, these are not long-term solutions to eliminating the homework 
gap or addressing America's digital divide. The homework gap, for 
example, begins at home--meaning that we should focus on programs that 
drive the delivery of world-class networks to every American home 
throughout a community so that students can engage in synchronous 
learning; as the pandemic has shown, we also need networks with robust 
symmetrical capability that truly enables virtual private networks and 
other applications that make effective and productive teleworking 
possible.
    From the Alaskan Bush to the Mississippi Delta, no American should 
get second-class broadband service, or worse yet, no service at all. 
That is why NTCA recommends that Congress adopt a ``Forever Connected'' 
approach to promote the deployment of future-proof networks and ensure 
the next time we find ourselves in a national disaster, no student, 
senior citizen, or rural or urban American is left in the digital 
darkness.
    There are many ideas out there for how to fix this complex problem, 
and NTCA applauds members of Congress for prioritizing this issue. 
While NTCA appreciates the innovative ideas put forth already, our 
ultimate recommendation to Congress is that there is actually no need 
to reinvent the wheel with new programs, but to instead simply enhance, 
improve, and direct any new funding to existing broadband programs that 
have been improved over years and even decades.
    More specifically, programs such as the FCC's Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund and the USDA's RUS ReConnect Program are better 
equipped to receive and then distribute additional funds. Creating yet 
another program from whole cloth at yet another agency could take years 
to get right and would risk duplicating the work of the more 
established Federal broadband support programs at best, and conflicting 
with the work of these programs at worst.
    We recommend following these simple guidelines when crafting 
legislation for long-term broadband solutions:

  1.  Leveraging existing broadband programs is the best way of getting 
        the most immediate return on investment while also avoiding 
        confusion and potential inter-agency conflicts.

  2.  Prevent duplication of scarce Federal resources by requiring all 
        agencies to strictly coordinate use of their broadband 
        programs.

  3.  Require all agencies to use updated broadband maps and meaningful 
        challenge processes to ensure that unserved areas are 
        accurately identified.

  4.  Invest in technology that can be readily upgraded to deliver the 
        fastest speeds over the long-term life of the asset being 
        built, rather than supporting technologies that look cheaper to 
        deploy now but are unable to provide meaningful Internet access 
        over time and thus will in fact cost more over time to upgrade 
        to keep pace with increased demand. We would not use our 
        highway program to create a two-lane road when we know an 
        eight-lane highway will be needed in 5 or 10 years--that would 
        be a terribly inefficient use of funds--and we should think of 
        our broadband infrastructure the same way.

  5.  Remember that any program must focus not only on building the 
        broadband network itself, but also sustaining that network over 
        time once it has been built. In many cases, rural operators are 
        serving roughly one subscriber per square mile, and operating a 
        network with so few users takes not only capital for initial 
        deployment but continued support to maintain over the long-term 
        and keep services affordable on that network.

    NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association is grateful for this 
committee's ongoing leadership and focus on identifying and solving 
barriers to broadband deployment--especially during the COVID-19 
Pandemic. We are all in this together, and the work that Congress will 
do over the next several months can make a lasting impact on broadband 
policy in America for future generations to come. Thank you for 
inviting me to be with you today and I look forward to the chance to 
converse further with you on these topics.

    The Chairman. Thank you Ms. Bloomfield. And let me just say 
at this point, as one of the ones who met late into the night, 
developing the CARES Act, I see no reason why a 501(c)(12) 
nonprofit cooperative, who is otherwise qualified, should be 
prohibited from participating in the Paycheck Protection 
Program and I have urged Treasury to make that decision clear 
and I hope we get a positive answer very, very soon.
    I thank the Committee for indulging me there. And now, Mr. 
Kimmelman, Senior Advisor to Public Knowledge joins us remotely 
and Mr. Kimmelman, we're delighted to have you and we take this 
opportunity to thank the technicians who have made this 
possible.

         STATEMENT OF GENE KIMMELMAN, SENIOR ADVISOR, 
                        PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE

    Mr. Kimmelman. Yes, thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. 
Chairman, Senator Cantwell and Members of the Committee. On 
behalf of Public Knowledge I truly appreciate this invitation 
to testify this morning.
    Wow, just think of a gut punch that this virus has 
delivered to all of us. It's really demonstrated just how 
dependent we are on a high-quality, fast-speed, video capable 
broadband----
    [Audio lost.]
    The Chairman. If we could hold up for a moment and restore 
the audio. We were doing so well.
    Mr. Kimmelman.--our jobs, most of us need this service. The 
education of our children is now fully dependent on high speed 
broadband, getting food and supplies, the delivery of health 
care, as Senator Cantwell mentioned. Broadband has just become 
the true lifeline to our functioning today.
    So just imagine, just imagine what it's like to be among 
the 42 million Americans who don't have access, access to the 
wired broadband to deliver that kind of connectivity, or the 26 
percent of rural Americans who can't get fast enough broadband. 
The more than 50 percent of people on rural, tribal lands who 
lack wire line broadband. The 12 million-plus students who lack 
access to Internet at home. And the millions, millions of low-
income households, many of them elderly; almost 40 percent of 
Black and Latinx household who just can't afford a high price 
of broadband.
    Yes, we're all struggling. But these people are virtually 
helpless and they need attention immediately.
    Unfortunately, the FCC has abandoned its most effective 
tools for overseeing broadband, and some of this pain these 
have nots are experiencing could have been mitigated. Now, of 
course, we appreciate all of the industry's voluntary efforts 
to provide some assistance to those in need, it's truly 
helpful. We're extremely appreciative of the Congress for 
coming together in a bipartisan way to provide some critical 
resources for individuals, small businesses, and those who've 
lost their job. And we hope it's that sentiment, discarding 
ideological differences to unite for the good of our country 
that will continue.
    First, we urge you to commit as many resources that you can 
to address all broadband needs during this emergency given how 
essential high speed Internet is to daily life. From lifeline 
to the E-Rate program to expanding deployment of telehealth, 
all need resourcing. We particularly appreciate FCC 
Commissioner Rosenworcel's leadership in the charge to take 
care of kids who can't do their homework due to the lack of 
broadband. We need to fix that and all of these other 
affordability problems
    But most importantly, Mr. Chairman, we need a long-term 
solution to bridge the digital divide. Broadband has become not 
just essential to individuals and households, it is 
fundamentally intertwined with many of our most important 
societal needs. It's critical. Any path forward out of this 
crisis, to jumpstart our economy, we're going to need full 
access to the Internet for as many people as possible; to 
educate our kids, to keep families and relationships going and 
healthy and supported. We all need high speed Internet to 
practice our social distancing, to do our jobs, to avoid 
unnecessary travel. We all need the Internet and to support our 
democracy we need a local journalism that can clean up the 
disinformation, the falsehoods that are flowing on the Internet 
in order to make sure we can tell fact from fiction.
    Let's extend the bipartisan spirit that you've shown in the 
most recent legislation to a commitment to reliable, 
affordable, universally high-quality broadband for all 
Americans to help speed up this recovery and move us to a path 
back to normalcy.
    Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Kimmelman follows:]

    Prepared Statement of Gene Kimmelman,\1\ Senior Advisor, Public 
                               Knowledge
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    \1\ I would like to thank Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Counsel, 
and Tsion Tesfaye, Communications Justice Fellow, for their support in 
preparing this statement.
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Introduction
    Long before the COVID-19 crisis, Americans turned to broadband 
``for every facet of daily life.'' \2\ Broadband is critical for 
everything from finding a job to receiving medical care, connecting 
with loved ones, learning, engaging in democratic processes, and being 
entertained. Without broadband, our Nation can't compete economically, 
advance technologically, or promote the public interest.\3\ 
Unfortunately, this essential service is not available to all 
Americans.\4\
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    \2\ Inquiry Concerning the Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and 
Timely Fashion, and Possible Steps to Accelerate Such Deployment 
Pursuant to Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as 
Amended by the Broadband Data Improvement Act, GN Docket No. 14-126, 
2015 Broadband Progress Report and Notice of Inquiry on Immediate 
Action to Accelerate Deployment, 30 FCC Rcd. 1375, 1377  2 (2015).
    \3\ 47 U.S.C. Sec. 257(b)
    \4\ In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and 
Timely Fashion, GN Docket No. 19-285 (April 24, 2020) https://
www.fcc.gov/document/new-fcc-report-shows-digital-divide-continuing-
close-0.
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    Congress recognized that broadband was essential, but not 
universal, 10 years ago, when it required the Federal Communications 
Commission to create a National Broadband Plan outlining ways to 
improve Internet access across the country.\5\ However, today, many 
Americans still find themselves unconnected. This digital divide has 
been around for a long time, but the COVID-19 crisis has made it 
clearer than ever. That is why Public Knowledge believes it is 
essential that all Americans have access to affordable broadband both 
during the COVID-19 crisis and moving forward. We support a 
comprehensive legislative package that ensures that broadband is 
affordable, reliable, and available universally. It's the only way to 
ensure that no American gets left behind.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\ Federal Communications Commission, Connecting America: The 
National Broadband Plan, https://www.fcc.gov/general/national-
broadband-plan (The National Broadband Plan)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Broadband is an Essential Service Without Universal Access
    Before this crisis, millions found themselves at a disadvantage 
because of an inability to connect to broadband. Stroke patients in 
areas with a dearth of neurologists were unable to adhere to American 
Heart Association recommendations to virtually consult with a 
physician--potentially jeopardizing their lives.\6\ Teenagers reported 
being unable to complete their homework.\7\ Small to medium businesses 
that could not access global markets through the Internet were 30 
percent less likely to survive.\8\ Moreover, public safety officials 
could find themselves unable to communicate life-saving information to 
local residents and even first responders from other jurisdictions.\9\
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    \6\ The National Broadband Plan at 201 citing American Heart 
Association, A History of Trans Fat..
    \7\ Monica Anderson and Andrew Perrin, Nearly one-in-five teens 
can't always finish their homework because of the https://
www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/26/nearly-one-in-five-teens-cant-
always-finish-their-homework-because-of-the-digital-divide/ digital 
divide (October 2018)
    \8\ Robert Pepper et al., Cross-Border Data Flows, Digital 
Innovation, and Economic Growth, The Global Information Technology 
Report 2016 at 41 (2016) http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GITR2016/
WEF_GITR_Chapter1.2_2016.pdf.
    \9\ The National Broadband Plan at 313.
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    Broadband was essential before the COVID-19 pandemic, but is 
particularly critical now, as governments and health experts are asking 
or requiring people to stay at home in order to keep people safe. 
During this crisis, students without broadband connections find 
themselves doing schoolwork from the parking lots of closed schools or 
libraries, if they are able to do their schoolwork at all.\10\ In North 
Carolina, a teacher had to teach a two-hour class from her car.\11\ 
Sick or injured individuals may be forced to jeopardize their safety or 
the safety of others to seek in-person medical care, because they are 
unable to access telehealth. Other individuals, particularly the 
elderly, report feeling isolated and desolate due to an inability to 
connect with their loved ones in person or virtually. One woman in 
Missouri was unable to even virtually meet her new grandchild because 
she did not have an Internet connection at home.\12\ Moreover, without 
internet, it's difficult to access news about this health crisis--
something that 70 percent of Americans report doing.\13\ Without this 
information, Americans may accidentally violate public safety 
directives because they are not aware of them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\ Cecillia Kang, Parking Lots Have Become a Digital Lifeline, 
New York Times (May 5, 2020) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/
technology/parking-lots-wifi-coronavirus.html; Juliette Rihl, How the 
pandemic is exacerbating the digital divide in Allegheny County, Public 
Source (April 9, 2020) https://www.publicsource.org/how-the-pandemic-
is-exacerbating-the-digital-divide-in-allegheny-county/; Jennifer 
Hemmingsen, A catalyst for bridging the digital divide, The Seattle 
Times (May 8, 2020) https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/a-catalyst-
for-bridging-the-digital-divide/?utm_source=e-mail&utm_medium=e-
mail&utm_campaign=article_inset_1.1.
    \11\ Cecillia Kang, Parking Lots Have Become a Digital Lifeline, 
New York Times (May 5, 2020) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/
technology/parking-lots-wifi-coronavirus.html.
    \12\ Tali Arbel and Michael Casey, Those without broadband struggle 
in nation stuck at home because of coronavirus, USA Today (March 31, 
2020) https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/03/31/those-without-
broadband-struggle-nation-stuck-home-coronavirus/5101320002/.
    \13\ Monica Anderson and Emily A. Vogels, Americans turn to 
technology during COVID-19 outbreak, say an outage would be a problem, 
Pew Research Center (March 31, 2020) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2020/03/31/americans-turn-to-technology-during-covid-19-outbreak-
say-an-outage-would-be-a-problem/.
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    Although broadband is critical, our Nation has a large digital 
divide, leaving those on the wrong side of it struggling to connect. 
Currently, more than 42 million Americans don't have the ability to 
purchase broadband, and almost half of the country can't access the 
Internet at broadband speeds (currently defined as 25/3 Mbps).\14\ 
Rural, tribal, and minority communities are particularly impacted by 
the digital divide. According to the FCC's 2019 Broadband Deployment 
Report, in 2017, 26 percent of those in rural areas lacked access to 
fixed broadband.\15\ This number is even more stark for households on 
rural tribal lands--where less than half have access to fixed 
broadband.\16\ Moreover, according to a Pew Research Center survey, 
black and Latinx families are less likely than their peers to have 
access to broadband Internet at home. Only 66 percent of African 
Americans and 61 percent of Hispanics report having broadband at 
home.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \14\ John Busby et al., FCC Reports Broadband Unavailable to 21.3 
Million Americans, BroadbandNow Study Indicates 42 Million Do Not Have 
Access, BroadbandNow (February 3, 2020) https://broadbandnow.com/
research/fcc-underestimates-unserved-by-50-percent citing John Kahan, 
It's time for a new approach for mapping broadband data to better serve 
Americans, Microsoft (April 8, 2019) https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-
the-issues/2019/04/08/its-time-for-a-new-approach-for-mapping-
broadband-data-to-better-serve-americans/.
    \15\ Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications 
Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN 
Docket No. 18-238, 2019 Broadband Deployment Report, FCC 19-44, 2  1 
(rel. May 29, 2019).
    \16\ Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau et al., Report on 
Broadband Deployment in Indian Country, Pursuant to the Repack Airwaves 
Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018 at 3 
(May 2019) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-357269A1.pdf.
    \17\ Andrew Perrin and Erica Turner, Smartphones help blacks, 
Hispanics bridge some--but not all--digital gaps with whites, (August 
20, 2019) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/20/smartphones-
help-blacks-hispanicsbridge-some-but-not-all-digital-gaps-with-whites/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how essential broadband is to 
modern life, and how broadband will still be essential when this crisis 
is over. We need a comprehensive legislative package that goes beyond 
short-term measures to promote broadband during the COVID-19 crisis, 
and this includes passing policies aimed at narrowing the digital 
divide in the long term as well. Congress can do this by investing in 
expanding broadband access to those in need in rural, suburban, and 
urban communities across the country; by passing policies that ensure 
broadband is affordable and that consumers have the devices and digital 
literacy skills they need to access it; and by ensuring that all 
Internet access is reliable, resilient, and sufficient to enable 
households to meaningfully engage a broad range of online activities.
    It should be noted that these needs and functions complement--
rather than compete--with each other. Accordingly, a policy designed to 
promote deployment may also benefit affordability or reliability. Too 
often, special interests have sought to set stakeholders against each 
other by portraying these policies as a zero-sum game where money for 
affordability subsidies is set against money for rural infrastructure. 
In reality, affordability subsidies are as important to providing rural 
networks for deployment as they are to providing service in urban 
communities. We must therefore fully fund these policies in a 
coordinated fashion recognizing that money spent to enhance competition 
and reliability improves affordability, while subsidies for 
affordability in turn support deployment and the cost of maintaining 
resilient networks.
Congress Must Ensure that Broadband is Universally Available
    As previously noted, more than 42 million Americans don't have the 
ability to purchase broadband because it is not available.\18\ To 
remedy this problem, the Federal Communications Commission has 
estimated that it will cost $80 billion to deploy broadband 
nationwide.\19\ Congress must provide sufficient funding for flexible 
and efficient deployment strategies that help connect unserved and 
underserved individuals across the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \18\ John Busby et al., FCC Reports Broadband Unavailable to 21.3 
Million Americans, BroadbandNow Study Indicates 42 Million Do Not Have 
Access, BroadbandNow (February 3, 2020) https://broadbandnow.com/
research/fcc-underestimates-unserved-by-50-percent citing John Kahan, 
It's time for a new approach for mapping broadband data to better serve 
Americans, Microsoft (April 8, 2019) https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-
the-issues/2019/04/08/its-time-for-a-new-approach-for-mapping-
broadband-data-to-better-serve-americans/.
    \19\ Paul de Sa, Improving the Nations Digital Infrastructure, FCC 
Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis (2017) https://
transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2017/db0119/DOC-
343135A1.pdf.
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Funding Should Be Directed Towards All Unserved and Underserved Areas
    Our nation cannot close its digital divide if funding is not 
directed to all unserved and underserved areas in urban, suburban, and 
rural areas. Currently, Internet service providers are less likely to 
deploy broadband in low-income or rural areas because doing so is less 
profitable or riskier than deploying elsewhere. \20\ In order to 
promote deployment to rural and low-income areas, comprehensive 
legislation could condition the receipt of Federal deployment funding 
with buildout requirements to serve both more and less profitable parts 
of a provider's area.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \20\ Rose, Gregory, Wireless Broadband and the Redlining of Rural 
America, New America Foundation (2010) https://www.newamerica.org/oti/
policy-papers/wireless-broadband-and-the-redlining-of-rural-america/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This is particularly true in urban areas where ``digital 
redlining'' has reemerged.\21\ Unlike rural areas, where providers 
receive a subsidy to serve a high-cost area, no subsidies exist to 
encourage providers to serve or upgrade urban neighborhoods despite the 
perceived lack of profit. Accordingly, although neighboring census 
tracts might enjoy access to ever increasing speeds, the broadband 
infrastructure in these neighborhoods degrades over time instead. 
Traditional deployment funding to broadband providers will not remedy 
this problem because the providers do not take deployment funding to 
serve areas that are not profitable (although increasing subsidies to 
low-income recipients would help to make these neighborhoods more 
profitable).\22\ Either we should build new programs explicitly 
designed to create competing providers in these underserved 
neighborhoods (as described below) or legislation should require 
universal service standards or other anti-redlining measures enforced 
at either the state level or by the FCC. These standards could require 
the recipients of Federal deployment funding to buildout to both more 
and less profitable parts of a provider's area.
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    \21\ Bill Calhallan, AT&T`s Digital Redlining in Dallas: New 
Research by Dr. Brian Whitacre, NDIA Blog (August 6, 2019) https://
www.digitalinclusion.org/blog/2019/08/06/atts-digital-redlining-of-
dallas-new-research-by-dr-brian-whitacre/
    \22\ Bill Callahan, AT&T's Digital Redlining of Dallas: New 
Research by Dr. Brian Whitacre, National Digital Inclusion Alliance 
(August 6, 2019) https://www.digitalinclusion.org/blog/2019/08/06/atts-
digital-redlining-of-dallas-new-research-by-dr-brian-whitacre/.
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Congress Should Prioritize Funding Municipal Broadband and Other 
        Alternative Providers
    As previously noted, Internet service providers usually do not 
serve areas that do not promise sustained profitability over time, even 
with deployment funding. In order to ensure that broadband deployment 
funds are used in the areas that need it most, one approach is to 
encourage non-commercial entities to provide broadband access. For 
example, Congress should encourage municipal broadband and broadband 
cooperatives to step in where for-profit companies do not see 
worthwhile business opportunities. These entities usually provide more 
affordable offerings than for-profit providers because they want to 
deploy broadband as a public service. Offering affordable broadband can 
be a natural fit for these entities because they already have 
experience running utilities, like water and electric.\23\ However, 
half of all states have blocks or bans on municipal broadband.\24\ 
These policies harm competition, and Federal competition policy should 
supersede them.
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    \23\ Harold Feld, Solving the Rural Broadband Equation, 51 State 
and Local Government Review (forthcoming).
    \24\ Kendra Chamberlain, Municipal Broadband Is Roadblocked Or 
Outlawed In 25 States, BroadbandNow (April 17, 2019) https://
broadbandnow.com/report/municipal-broadband-roadblocks/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Additionally, it makes sense to prioritize funding for municipal 
broadband providers, broadband cooperatives, or local providers (or 
ensure that a certain percentage of money intended for deployment is 
awarded to these providers). Studies repeatedly show that local 
broadband providers offer better service and promote adoption better 
than non-local providers, whether for-profit or non-profit.\25\ Federal 
funds should therefore encourage local broadband deployment rather than 
trying to entice those otherwise uninterested in the community to 
deploy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \25\ Pew Charitable Trusts, ``How States Are Expanding Broadband 
Access: New Research Identifies Tactics for Connecting Unserved 
Communities,'' (February 2020). Available at: https://
www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/02/broadband_report_final.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Encouraging deployment of fiber to low-income neighborhoods is 
equally urgent but requires a more surgical approach. Encouraging the 
formation of broadband cooperatives in public housing units, allowing 
residents to pool their resources, and funding fiber installation and 
necessary equipment in each public housing apartment during 
construction will promote competition. This would drastically reduce 
the cost of servicing these buildings with high-speed broadband, 
expanding incentives for providers to offer service to the residents of 
these housing projects.
Funding Should be Used Efficiently
    When Congress is providing funding for broadband deployment, it 
should ensure that those funds are used efficiently. To do this, 
Congress can empower municipalities to plan for deployment in their own 
communities and require ``dig once'' policies.
    A West Virginia state program demonstrates how broadband grants and 
state initiatives can help localities develop a broadband plan that 
assesses all the relevant local strengths and efficiently makes 
recommendations. In 2018, West Virginia allocated $2.4 million in 
community development block grants exclusively for broadband. Through 
this fund, the West Virginia Development Office makes planning grants 
available to counties so they can determine what areas need public 
funding to deploy broadband networks and the best way to use that money 
to achieve deployment.\26\ As highlighted by PEW, this program has 
helped West Virginia make significant advances in broadband deployment 
by allowing for efficient expenditure of resources and enhanced 
community engagement.\27\ By engaging in similar fact-finding, other 
localities may find that they already have available conduit, fiber, or 
spectrum licenses that can be used to provide part of the network.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \26\ Dylan Vidovich, Commission Hears Details of Broadband Grant, 
The Logan Banner (Sept. 11, 2019), https://www.loganbanner.com/news/
commission-hears-details-of-broadband-grant/article_c04a6281-7e9f-5374-
82dd-099b898224e1.html.
    \27\ Pew Charitable Trusts, How States Are Expanding Broadband 
Access: New Research Identifies Tactics for Connecting Unserved 
Communities (Feb. 2020), https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/
02/broadband_report_final.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Funding can also be used efficiently by implementing ``dig once'' 
policies. These policies reduce the costs of deploying broadband by 
requiring the installation of conduit or broadband during construction 
projects receiving Federal funding. Doing so when the roads are 
initially constructed can significantly reduce deployment costs because 
up to 90 percent of the cost of installing broadband is tied to digging 
up roadways.\28\ In fact, Broadband Now estimated that the country 
could have saved up to $126 billion dollars by implementing ``dig 
once'' policies nationally.\29\
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    \28\ Federal Highway Administration Office of Transportation Policy 
Studies, Policy Brief (October 2013) https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/
otps/policy_brief_dig_once.pdf.
    \29\ Tyler Cooper, Dig Once: The Digital Divide Solution Congress 
Squandered And Policy That Could Save $126 Billion On Broadband 
Deployment, Broadband Now (Aug. 7, 2019), https://broadbandnow.com/
report/dig-once-digital-divide/.
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Congress Must Enforce the Use of Accurate Data for Broadband Deployment 
        Funding
    If Congress were to invest the funds needed to deploy broadband 
universally, that funding would be unlikely to completely close the 
digital divide because the FCC doesn't have accurate mapping data with 
which to make funding decisions. Congress recently passed the Broadband 
Data Act to fix problems with the FCC's data collection process since 
that process leads the FCC to dramatically overstate broadband 
coverage.\30\ However, the FCC has stalled implementing that 
Congressional mandate.\31\ States, recognizing the Federal deficit and 
how imperative it is to spend funds based on accurate data, have 
started their own efforts. Georgia passed the Achieving Connectivity 
Everywhere Act in 2018, which created a separate state broadband 
mapping program to supplement the existing Federal mapping program. 
Georgia now has a more accurate and granular state-level broadband map 
that encourages investment in specific infrastructure.\32\
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    \30\ Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability 
Act P.L 116-130; The FCC's most recent broadband deployment report 
estimates that less than 18 million Americans lack broadband, while 
other reports believe nearly 42 million Americans lack broadband. 2020 
Broadband Deployment Report, In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning 
Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capability to All Americans 
in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket No. 19-285 (April 20, 
2020) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-50A1.pdf
    \31\ FCC Proposes the 5G Fund for Rural America, Federal 
Communications Commission (April 23, 2020) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/
attachments/DOC-363946A1.pdf.
    \32\ DeMuth, Mary Ann, ``Transforming Digital Dirt Roads,'' 
GeorgiaTrend.com (December 29, 2019) https://www.georgiatrend.com/2019/
12/31/transforming-digital-dirt-roads/?utm_source
=sendgrid&utm_medium=e-
mail&utm_campaign=Newsletters&mc_cid=b647a19688&mc_eid=bf
11efc24c
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    Although the FCC does not have accurate broadband deployment data, 
it has proposed distributing billions of dollars in funding for rural 
broadband based on the current faulty maps.\33\ FCC Commissioners 
Rosenworcel and Starks have both noted that distributing funds based on 
incorrect data will foreclose networks that potentially would serve 
millions of unserved Americans from receiving funding.\34\ Still, the 
FCC has chosen to preclude areas deemed to be served from receiving 
Federal funding for broadband deployment through the Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund or the 5G Fund.\35\ The FCC has also excluded some 
unknown additional number of census blocks from receiving funding if a 
network within the census block has received state or other Federal 
funding, even if the network remains unbuilt. According to FCC 
Commissioner Starks, this could reduce or eliminate the opportunity for 
Americans in about 30 states to benefit from new broadband deployment 
funds.\36\ In order to ensure that needy areas are not being precluded 
from broadband deployment funding, Congress must hold the FCC 
accountable for implementing updates to its data collection about where 
broadband is and is not available, and should instruct the FCC to treat 
state grants as a complement--rather than a replacement--to Federal 
efforts.
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    \33\ FCC Proposes the 5G Fund for Rural America, Federal 
Communications Commission (April 23, 2020) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/
attachments/DOC-363946A1.pdf; Report and Order in the Matter of Rural 
Digital Opportunity Fund Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 19-126 WC 
Docket No. 10-90 (February 7, 2020) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/
attachments/FCC-20-5A1.pdf.
    \34\ Statement of Commissioner Geoffrey Starks Re: Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund, Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 19-126; WC Docket 
No. 10-90 (January 30, 2020) https://www.publicknowledge.org/documents/
fcc-commissioner-starks-statement-on-rural-digital-opportunity-fund/.
    \35\ Report and Order in the Matter of Rural Digital Opportunity 
Fund Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 19-126 WC Docket No. 10-90 
(February 7, 2020) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-
5A1.pdf.
    \36\ Statement of Commissioner Geoffrey Starks Re: Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund, Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 19-126; WC Docket 
No. 10-90 (January 30, 2020) https://www.publicknowledge.org/documents/
fcc-commissioner-starks-statement-on-rural-digital-opportunity-fund/; 
Statement of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel Re: Establishing a 5G 
Fund for Rural America, GN Docket No. 20-32, WT Docket No. 10-208 
(January 30, 2020) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-
52A5.pdf.
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Congress Should Help Narrow the Homework Gap
    Before this pandemic, an estimated 12 million students in this 
country did not have Internet access at home and could not complete 
schoolwork.\37\ Students in black and Hispanic households are 
particularly likely to be impacted. One-fourth of black teens report 
sometimes being unable to complete their homework due to a lack of 
digital connectivity, and another one in 1 in 5 black teens report that 
they sometimes must rely on public Wi-Fi in order to do homework.\38\ 
This pandemic shines an even brighter light on the ``homework gap.'' As 
schools close and classes transition online for the foreseeable future, 
students who fall into the homework gap risk falling behind their 
peers. While these students may have been able to access broadband in 
their local school or library before the pandemic, these facilities are 
now closed. For example, 30 percent of students in Yakima County, 
Washington do not have home Internet service, leaving them unable to 
compete with their peers.\39\ We commend Commissioner Rosenworcel for 
her efforts in highlighting the seriousness of this problem and 
diligently championing students.
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    \37\ Kim Hart, The Homework Divide: 12 million schoolchildren lack 
Internet (December 2018) https://www.axios.com/the-homework-gap-kids-
without-home-broadband-access-3ad5909f-e2fb-4208-b4d0-574c45ff4fe7.html
    \38\ Monica Anderson and Andrew Perrin, Nearly one-in-five teens 
can't always finish their homework because of the digital divide, Pew 
Research Center (October 2018) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/
2018/10/26/nearly-one-in-five-teens-cant-always-finish-their-homework-
because-of-the-digital-divide/
    \39\ Jennifer Hemmingsen, A Catalyst for Bridging the Digital 
Divide, The Seattle Times (May 8, 2020) https://www.seattletimes.com/
opinion/a-catalyst-for-bridging-the-digital-divide/?utm_source=e-
mail&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_campaign=article_inset_1.1.
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    In order to ensure that this inequity is not exacerbated, and to 
promote success amongst K-12 students, Congress should pass the 
``Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020.'' This bill would 
provide funding to ensure that K-12 students have home Internet and 
devices during the pandemic and do not have to rely on publicly 
accessible Wi-Fi.
    Congress should also ensure that postsecondary students do not fall 
behind during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 96 percent of postsecondary 
students report using the Internet for schoolwork.\40\ However, many 
postsecondary students may struggle to learn from home, where students 
aren't able to access campus Wi-Fi. The E-Rate program supports 
connectivity for K-12 schools and libraries, but not postsecondary 
students.\41\ Congress can ensure that postsecondary students can 
successfully train for good jobs during the pandemic by enacting the 
``Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act,'' 
which would provide temporary support to higher education institutions 
to increase connectivity for their students.
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    \40\ Robert B. Kvavik, Convenience, Communications, and Control: 
How Students Use Technology, EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research 
and University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2005) https://
www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/books/educating-net-
generation/convenience-communications-and-control-how-students-use-
technology.
    \41\ Universal Service Administrative Co., School and Library 
Eligibility, https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-
begin/school-and-library-eligibility/.
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    It should, however, be noted that these pieces of legislation are a 
short-term solution for student connectivity because of their reliance 
upon mobile hotspots. Mobile hotspots enable devices like laptops to 
connect to wireless networks. Unfortunately, wireless networks are 
generally slower than wired networks (particularly fiber); can become 
congested more easily; are more likely to carry usage limits such as 
data caps; and may not be available in rural areas to begin with.\42\ 
Neither are mobile hotspots an ideal way to connect an entire household 
of devices, or to provide connectivity to streaming devices like smart 
TVs. There is a reason why, within the home, even devices with built-in 
LTE typically connect to Wi-Fi networks that are connected to wired 
networks. While an expedient short-term solution during the COVID-19 
crisis, Congress should prioritize other methods of deployment for the 
long term.
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    \42\ ``Even when a [wireless] network is designed with a small cell 
radius to decrease the number of subscribers covered by each cell, the 
number of user devices simultaneously trying to communicate with the 
antenna can still cause congestion.'' Columbia Telecommunications 
Corporation, The State of the Art and Evolution of Cable Television and 
Broadband Technology 2014 at 15 (2014) https://www.publicknowledge.org/
wp-content/uploads/2019/09/State_of_the_Art
_and_Evolution_of_Cable_Television_and_Broadband_Technology.pdf (CTC 
Report); ``Wireless availability is lower in rural areas and speeds get 
slower the further from cities you go.'' Open Signal, Mobile Experience 
in Rural USA--An Operator Comparison, (2019) https://
www.opensignal.com/2019/09/24/mobile-experience-in-rural-usa-an-
operator-comparison; ``Additionally, Actual wireless availability in 
rural areas frequently doesn't live up to coverage claims.'' See Mobile 
Wireless in Vermont (2019) https://publicservice.vermont.gov/sites/dps/
files/documents/Connectivity/BroadbandReports/2019/
Mobile%20Wireless%20Report.pdf; Justin Strawser, Though '100 percent 
coverage' Valley cellular dark zones exist, The Daily Item, July 19, 
2019, https://www.dailyitem.com/news/though-percent-coverage-valley-
cellular-dark-zones-exits/article_97f81258-9bec-11e9-8f57-
df3fe97f0454.html; ``Wireless dead zones are common in cities as well. 
Dead zones occur in cities, too.'' CBS Chicago, An Analysis Of Chicago 
Cell Phone Dead Zones, September 22, 2019, https://
chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/09/22/an-analysis-of-chicago-cell-phone-dead-
zones; see generally https://www.deadcellzones.com; ``Unlike wired 
connections, wireless signals are affected by terrain, weather, 
buildings and other factors.'' CTC Report 13-14; ``Finally, data caps 
are both more common, and more restrictive on wireless connections.'' 
see generally Public Knowledge's resources at https://
www.publicknowledge.org/issues/data-caps.
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    In the long term, our Nation can ensure that students have Internet 
by supporting the E-Rate program, which was created to help schools and 
libraries obtain affordable internet.\43\ In addition to funding school 
and library connectivity, Congress and the FCC should consider ways 
that E-Rate funding could be utilized to help serve communities. This 
would include making policy changes to the E-Rate program that allow 
the schools and libraries who want to do so to use their connectivity 
funded through E-rate to provide backhaul. For example, in Boulder 
Valley, Colorado, school districts will extend the school's fiber 
network to nearby low-income housing complexes.\44\ In this way, the 
schools could allow their networks, which are largely unused during 
non-school hours, to share excess bandwidth with students who need it 
to complete homework.
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    \43\ Federal Communications Commission, E-Rate--Schools & Libraries 
USF Program, https://www.fcc.gov/general/e-rate-schools-libraries-usf-
program (last visited May 11, 2020).
    \44\ Before the Federal Communications Commission In The Matter of 
Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries. WC Docket No. 
13-184 (May 2016) https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/60001843683.pdf
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We Should Help Tribes Close the Digital Divide
    When distributing broadband deployment funds, Congress must not 
leave tribal areas behind and should enact policies targeted at 
eliminating the significant digital divide between tribal and non-
tribal areas; there is a nearly 27-point gap in the number of housing 
units with fixed 25/3 Mbps service on rural tribal lands than non-
tribal rural lands.\45\ The FCC should work in consultation with tribal 
leaders to make sure deployment programs meet the needs of tribal 
communities. A first step is to add tribal areas to the universal 
service principles, thus ensuring that the FCC must require deployment 
of broadband to tribal communities at service levels and rates 
comparable to non-tribal areas.\46\
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    \45\ Federal Communications Commission, Report on Broadband 
Deployment in Indian Country, Pursuant to the Repack Airwaves Yielding 
Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018 (May 2019) 
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-357269A1.pdf.
    \46\ See 47 U.S.C. Sec. 254(b).
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    Another way to do this is to utilize the E-Rate program. Libraries 
play a key role in closing the digital divide because they provide 
Internet access to residents without access, such as students, seniors, 
and job seekers. However, despite catering to residents that are 
particularly impacted by the digital divide, only 15 percent of tribal 
libraries receive E-Rate funding.\47\ This is due in large part to not 
meeting the eligibility criteria because of the diverse functions many 
tribal libraries perform. In order to ensure that tribal communities 
have access to broadband, Congress should direct the FCC to revisit how 
to better connect tribal libraries and other tribal community anchor 
institutions that serve similar functions, such as tribal cultural 
centers.
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    \47\ American Library Association, A Broadband Imperative: 
Equitable Opportunity for Tribal Communities through Libraries (Oct. 
2018), http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org
.advocacy/files/content/telecom/TribalBroadband.pdf.
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    Finally, Congress can require the FCC to allow Tribes and tribal 
carriers to share unused spectrum. Many companies that hold the license 
to the spectrum available on tribal lands never use it because wireless 
Internet can be expensive to deploy.\48\ Many tribes want to use that 
spectrum to deploy their own wireless Internet but are not allowed to 
because they don't have the license. Congress should require the FCC to 
create a policy allowing others (including tribes themselves, or other 
broadband providers) to use those frequencies if the license holder 
does not build out within a given period. Once the license holder does 
build out, the entity sharing the spectrum could once again fully use 
their spectrum. Combined, these policy solutions can improve tribal 
connectivity.
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    \48\ See In re Improving Communs. Servs. for Native Nations, 26 FCC 
Rcd 2623 (F.C.C. March 3, 2011).
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Congress Must Ensure that Broadband is Affordable
    Even if broadband is available it is not always affordable and, 
consequently, it is not adopted. Lower broadband adoption is correlated 
with lower household incomes.\49\ Furthermore, Americans with higher 
incomes are more likely to have more than one device enabling them to 
connect to the internet.\50\ Individuals in households without 
broadband struggle to participate in economic, social, and educational 
activity that takes place online. A broadband provider's presence in a 
market is not an appropriate proxy for broadband adoption, and any 
analysis that informs a policy decision must closely evaluate the 
number of households actually connected.
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    \49\ Angela Siefer, FCC broadband report ignores affordability 
issue, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (May 30, 2019) https://
www.digitalinclusion.org/blog/2019/05/30/fcc-broadband-report-ignores-
affordability-issue/.
    \50\ Monica Anderson and Madhumitha Kumar, Digital divide persists 
even as lower-income Americans make gains in tech adoption, Pew 
Research (May 7, 2019) https://www.pew
research.org/fact-tank/2019/05/07/digital-divide-persists-even-as-
lower-income-americans-make
-gains-in-tech-adoption/.
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    To close the digital divide and bring the cost of broadband within 
reach for consumers across the country both during and after the COVID-
19 pandemic, multiple policy solutions should be leveraged in tandem. A 
competitive market for broadband--one in which multiple service options 
are available--can lower the cost and increase quality of service to 
consumers. Congress can also promote broadband affordability through 
subsidies that give Americans a way to pay for services they may 
otherwise decide is too expensive.
We Should Promote Broadband Competition Through Open Access 
        Infrastructure and Regulation
    Numerous studies on Internet pricing demonstrate that new Internet 
service providers entering a market can substantially benefit 
consumers.\51\ Absent competition, consumers may miss out on lower, 
more affordable options. For example, AT&T customers with gigabit 
connections in areas without competitive providers can pay up to $60 
more a month than consumers in regions with competitive providers.\52\ 
This lack of competition should be especially concerning considering 
how expensive broadband is in America compared to countries around the 
world. A recent study comparing broadband among 35 Organization for 
Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) countries found America to 
be among the most expensive.\53\
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    \51\ Jonathan Sallet, Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for 
the 2020s, Benton Institute for Broadband and Society at 49 (October 
2019) https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/BBA_full_F5_10.30.pdf.
    \52\ Karl Bode, Harvard Study Shows Why Big Telecom Is Terrified of 
Community-Run Broadband, Vice (January 12, 2018) https://www.vice.com/
en_us/article/d345pv/harvard-study-shows-why-big-telecom-is-terrified-
of-community-run-broadband.
    \53\ Jonathan Sallet, Broadband for Americas Future: A Vision for 
the 2020s, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society (October 2019) 
https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/BBA
_full_F5_10.30.pdf.
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    Although competition is immensely valuable, a significant portion 
of Americans lack access to competitive options. In addition to the 
millions of Americans who don't have access to any broadband, 
approximately a quarter of Americans have access to only one fixed 
broadband provider.\54\ Because too many areas lack competitive 
providers, consumers are paying artificially higher broadband prices. 
Studies show that prices for packages, including broadband access, are 
about $25 higher per month than they should be.\55\
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    \54\ Federal Communications Commission, Fact Sheet Communications 
Marketplace Report at 99, GN Docket No. 18-231 (November 21, 2018) 
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-355217A1.pdf.
    \55\ Calculations made by Mark Cooper showing the increase in 
profit by wireless companies based on earnings before taxation, 
depreciation, and amortization.
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    When existing incentives fail to bring about broadband competition, 
open access infrastructure can create conditions that support 
competitive markets. Typically, broadband providers deploy in 
communities where the expected profits outweigh the cost of 
investment.\56\ However, if broadband providers are spared the cost of 
building the infrastructure for deployment, they are more likely to 
offer their services to a particular area. Open access infrastructure 
is built and owned by local governments, functioning as wholesalers. 
Local governments lease this infrastructure to broadband providers, 
permitting them to provide services to homes and commercial 
entities.\57\ This policy option may be particularly beneficial for 
areas in which broadband providers are still reluctant to offer service 
even with the aid of existing government deployment subsidies. This 
strategy helped deploy broadband in Lincoln, Nebraska, when the Public 
Works Department identified over 350 square miles of decommissioned 
pipelines that they were able to use as conduit to lay fiber. This 
attracted multiple providers, since they were able to pull fiber 
through the area cheaply.\58\
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    \56\ Harold Feld, Solving the Rural Broadband Equation, 51 State 
and Local Government Review (forthcoming).
    \57\ Amina Fazlullah and Christopher Mitchell, Connecting the 
Unconnected with Open Access Infrastructure, Benton Institute for 
Broadband and Society (December 20, 2018) https://www.benton.org/
headlines/connecting-unconnected-open-access-infrastructure
    \58\ Community Broadband Bits Podcast, Episode 228, City of Lincoln 
Conduit Spurs FTTH, School Network Innovation, Munitnetworks.org (Nov 
15, 2016) https://muninetworks.org/content/transcript-community-
broadband-bits-episode-228.
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    Congress must do more to promote competition. If one carrier has a 
dominant market position, the simple presence of other small players 
alone does not secure a competitive market. Incumbent companies have 
demonstrated their willingness to engage in anti-competitive behavior 
that reinforces their dominance.\59\ Congress should begin by removing 
limitations on overbuilding as a means of promoting competition. As the 
Benton Institute recently advised in its recommendations for broadband 
policy: ``'overbuilding' should be called by its more familiar name, 
`competition.' '' \60\
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    \59\ Mark Cooper, Overcharged and Underserved: How a Tight 
Oligopoly on Steroids Undermines Competition and Harms Consumers in 
Digital Communications Markets, Consumer Federation of America and 
Public Knowledge (December 2016) https://consumerfed.org/wp-content/
uploads/2016/12/Overcharged-and-Underserved.pdf.
    \60\ Jonathan Sallet, Broadband for America's Furture: A Vision for 
the 2020s, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society at 32 (2019).
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We Must Provide Subsidies to Make Broadband Affordable and Keep 
        Struggling Americans Connected
    A key way that Congress can ensure everyone is able to connect to 
the Internet is to subsidize access, with a priority for those who are 
struggling to make ends meet. To date, over 33 million Americans have 
lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 crisis, and millions more have had 
their hours reduced, jeopardizing their ability to pay for 
broadband.\61\ Even before the COVID-19 crisis, millions of Americans 
did not subscribe to broadband because they couldn't afford it. In one 
survey, 50 percent of non-broadband subscribers cited price as the 
reason they lacked home service.\62\ This is further evidenced in 
statistics about who subscribes to broadband. Only 56 percent of 
American adults making less than $30,000 subscribe to broadband, while 
92 percent of Americans making $75,000 or more subscribe.\63\
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    \61\ Heather Long and Emily Guski, Over 33 million Americans lost 
their job during the pandemic. 77 percent believe they'll get it back, 
Post-Ipsos poll finds, Washington Post (May 7, 2020) https://
www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/07/nearly-80-percent-laid-off-
workers-believe-they-will-return-their-old-job-post-ipsos-poll-finds/.
    \62\ Monica Anderson, Mobile Technology and Home Broadband in 2019, 
Pew Research Center (June 2019) https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/
2019/06/13/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2019/
    \63\ Monica Anderson, Mobile Technology and Home Broadband in 2019, 
Pew Research Center (June 2019) https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/
2019/06/13/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2019/
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    Given the increasing necessity of broadband during the crisis, and 
the increasing number of Americans who cannot afford it, we must 
subsidize broadband for those who need it during this crisis so that no 
one has to choose between staying connected to essential communications 
and feeding their families. One way to do this is to create an 
emergency Lifeline or Lifeline-style benefit that subsidizes the cost 
of Internet for eligible residents in economic distress during the 
crisis. This should also provide a larger subsidy to tribal residents 
to account for their lower connectivity rates. An alternative approach 
would provide subsidies for all Americans during the crisis, to ensure 
that those who most need financial assistance are able to get it 
quickly and easily.\64\
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    \64\ Harold Feld, Want to Keep America Home? Give Everyone Free 
Basic Broadband, Public Knowledge (March 2020) https://
www.publicknowledge.org/blog/want-to-keep-america-home-give-everyone-
free-basic-broadband/
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    Additionally, Congress must ensure that those who can no longer pay 
for broadband because COVID-19 has impacted their financial security 
will not find this critical service shut-off during the pandemic and 
its economic recovery period. Americans cannot continue to rely on the 
voluntary pledges of for-profit companies, themselves under increasing 
pressure from shareholders as the ongoing COVID-19-induced financial 
crisis continues. We therefore support the ``Continuing Online 
Networking, Negating Economic Conditions on Technology (CONNECT) At 
Home Act,'' which would ensure continued connectivity for Americans, 
despite an inability to pay, for the duration of the crisis.
    Once the COVID-19 crisis is over, we need to continue providing 
broadband subsidies to needy households through the Lifeline program. 
Although there are a variety of policy interventions available to bring 
down the cost of broadband, the Lifeline program will ensure that the 
most economically vulnerable Americans have access. Policymakers should 
also consider changes to the Lifeline program that will bring broadband 
affordability within reach for Americans in the greatest need of 
assistance. First, the Lifeline program should be allowed to support 
standalone broadband, independent of phone service, in order to ensure 
that consumers have choice and competitive options. In recently 
submitted comments to the FCC, Public Knowledge highlighted that this 
restriction unduly limits consumer choice, especially during a time 
when Americans are increasingly relying on broadband to conduct 
important work and educational activities.\65\ Second, we must ensure 
Lifeline is utilized. Even before COVID-19, only about 40 percent of 
households that were eligible for Lifeline subscribed.\66\ According to 
the Government Accountability Office, this is due in part to 
individuals not knowing about the program.\67\ Ensuring that eligible 
consumers know about their eligibility is an easy way to narrow the 
digital divide. Finally, policymakers should increase subsidy amounts 
to ensure that eligible consumers are able to partake in the program. 
Studies show that $10 per month is the most low-income Americans can 
afford to pay for broadband.\68\ However, current subsidies are only 
$9.25 a month per household while the cost of monthly broadband is 
approximately $50-68--likely meaning consumers will pay far more than 
they can afford if they choose to participate.\69\ With sufficient 
funding and appropriate modification, the Lifeline program will 
significantly narrow the digital divide by ensuring that needy 
households can afford broadband.
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    \65\ Public Knowledge Comments In the Matter of Wireline 
Competition Bureau Seeks to Refresh Record in Restoring Internet 
Freedom and Lifeline Proceedings in Light of the D.C. Circuit's Mozilla 
Decision, WC Docket Nos. 17-108, 17-287, 11-42 DA 20-168 (April 20, 
2020) https://www.publicknowledge.org/documents/public-knowledge-net-
neutrality-fcc-remand-comments/.
    \66\ Demand for Broadband in Rural Areas: Implications for 
Universal Access, Congressional Research Service (December 9, 2019) 
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46108 (``Enrollment 
rates vary significantly by state, but are under 40 percent in most 
cases.'')
    \67\ Government Accountability Office, FCC Should Evaluate the 
Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Lifeline Program, Report to the 
Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, U.S. 
Senate (March 2015) https://www.gao.gov/assets/670/669209.pdf.
    \68\ Jonathan Sallet, Creating an Affordability Agenda, Benton 
Institute for Broadband and Society (January 23, 2020) https://
www.benton.org/blog/creating-affordability-agenda.
    \69\ Angele A. Gilroy, Federal Lifeline Program: Frequently Asked 
Questions, Congressional Research Service (October 19, 2017) https://
fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44487.pdf; Joan Engebreston, Broadband 
Affordability Report: Nearly Half of U.S. Population Lacks Access to a 
Low-Price Offering, TeleCompetitor (April 2, 2019) https://
www.telecompetitor.com/broadband-affordability-report-nearly-half-of-u-
s-population-lacks-access-to-a-low-price-offering/.
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We Must Fund Digital Equity
    Even if subsides and increased competition will allow consumers to 
afford broadband, they can't connect without equipment and digital 
literacy skills. Thirty-seven percent of non-broadband users cite the 
cost of a computer as one of the reasons they do not have broadband at 
home.\70\ Digital literacy can also be a barrier to connecting. A 
startling one-third of Americans lack digital skills they need to 
successfully navigate digital devices.\71\ The Digital Equity Act would 
provide funding to states to implement digital equity plans, and to 
other stakeholders to support digital equity projects.\72\ This bill is 
an important component to any policy effort to bring broadband to all 
Americans.
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    \70\ Monica Anderson, Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2019, 
Pew Research Center (June 13, 2019) https://www.pewresearch.org/
internet/2019/06/13/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2019/.
    \71\ National Skills Coalition, Applying a racial equity lens to 
digital literacy (March 20, 2020) https://
www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/file/Digital-
Skills-Racial-Equity-Final.pdf.
    \72\ National Digital Inclusion Alliance, The Digital Equity Act of 
2019 One Pager, https://www.digitalinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/
2019/04/Digital-Equity-Act-One-Pager-1.pdf
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We Need the FCC to Collect Price Data
    Recently, major carriers have increased the charges for Internet 
services, however prices for consumers won't go down until they are 
transparent. \73\ Without price transparency, the FCC can't determine 
whether the broadband market is sufficiently competitive and 
affordable, and make policy changes accordingly. Moreover, consumers 
won't be able to make an informed choice about which service to 
subscribe to. However, the FCC does not collect data about how much 
providers are charging for their services. Congress should remedy this 
by requiring the FCC to collect from providers information about the 
prices they charge consumers, including all associated fees and 
equipment rentals. This should also include information about bundled 
packages. All told, these stories show that learning how much providers 
are charging, is a key component of keeping broadband affordable, and 
closing the digital divide.
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    \73\ James K. Wilcox, Cable TV Prices Are Climbing for 2020, 
Consumer Reports (January 16, 2020) https://www.consumerreports.org/tv-
service/cable-tv-prices-climbing/.
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We Must Ensure That Broadband is Reliable and Resilient
    Even if Americans are able to access broadband, they will not be 
able to truly stay connected if that broadband is slow, unreliable, or 
subject to data caps. That's why it's important to regulate the quality 
of the Internet service provider offerings and ensure that broadband 
providers invest in improving their networks.
We Must Promote Adequate Speeds
    Sufficient broadband speeds are essential for Americans to engage 
in the facets of life that are enabled by broadband. This is 
particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many families are 
all together working and learning from home. This likely entails 
frequent video conferencing and streaming of educational content. 
According to the FCC, for even half of a family of four to engage in 
these activities at once, the household will need more than 25 
Mbps.\74\ However, that figure is likely higher, because most families 
have multiple family members engaging in high-bandwidth activities at 
once, and the bandwidth demands of work and educational applications 
continue to increase.\75\ After this pandemic, many Americans may 
continue to rely on their home broadband connections more frequently. 
If consumers experience slowdowns or don't have sufficiently fast 
broadband to begin with, they may be forced to choose which family 
members can work or learn at any given time.
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    \74\ Federal Communications Commission, Household Broadband Guide, 
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/household-broadband-guide
    \75\ For example, Netflix recommends 25 Mbps for high-quality video 
alone. See Netflix, Internet Speed Recommendations, https://
help.netflix.com/en/node/306.
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    Contrary to some reports from Internet service providers, with more 
activities moving online during the COVID-19 crisis, many cities have 
in fact experienced Internet slowdowns.\76\ In mid-April, Broadband Now 
reported that approximately one-third of the 200 most populous cities 
in the country experienced speed decreases.\77\ Some of these cities, 
including Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Boca Raton, Florida, have seen 
speed decreases of more than 40 percent.\78\ According to the same 
report, rural areas have also seen speed decreases from earlier in 
2020.\79\ This data indicates that, despite reassurances about the 
overall health of the internet, many families are unable to 
meaningfully engage in necessary digital activities because of 
slowdowns.
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    \76\ USTELECOM, Network Performance, https://www.ustelecom.org/
research/network-performance-data/
    \77\ Over the past week, 67 cities (33.5 percent of the top 200) 
experienced median upload speed decreases of 10 percent or greater 
below range of previous weeks in 2020. See Tyler Cooper, Internet Speed 
Analysis: Rural, top 200 Cities April 12-18, BroadbandNow (April 2020) 
https://broadbandnow.com/report/internet-speed-analysis-april-12th-
18th/?utm_campaign=Newsletters
&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=e-
mail&mc_cid=efc9112c3f&mc_eid=bf11efc24c.
    \78\ Tyler Cooper, Internet Speed Analysis: Rural, top 200 Cities 
April 12-18, BroadbandNow (April 2020) https://broadbandnow.com/report/
internet-speed-analysis-april-12th-18th/?utm_
campaign=Newsletters&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=e-
mail&mc_cid=efc9112c3f&mc_eid
=bf11efc24c.
    \79\ Tyler Cooper, Internet Speed Analysis: Rural, top 200 Cities 
April 12-18, BroadbandNow (April 2020) https://broadbandnow.com/report/
internet-speed-analysis-april-12th-8th/?utm_
campaign=Newsletters&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=e-
mail&mc_cid=efc9112c3f&mc_eid
=bf11efc24c.
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    This surge in demand highlights why Congress should require the FCC 
to increase its current broadband benchmark speed from 25/3 Mbps to at 
least 100 Mbps downstream, and to periodically increase its benchmark 
speed thereafter. The FCC has not increased its benchmark speed in five 
years.\80\ Although the COVID-19 lockdown has dramatically accelerated 
existing trends, evidence already showed that American consumers were 
using faster than the minimum speeds, and providers are offering 
significant speed increases. According to the Fiber Broadband 
Association, ``average upload speeds in the U.S. surpassed 10 Mbps over 
two years ago, grew by 75 percent over the next year, and continues to 
increase significantly.'' \81\ Analysts project that, even after COVID-
19, working from home will increase significantly.\82\ Without 
increasing the minimum benchmark speed, our Nation will invest in 
deploying broadband networks that are outdated by the time they are 
built--leaving consumers and employers to face the consequences.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \80\ Public Knowledge Comments Re: Inquiry Concerning Deployment of 
Advanced Telecommunications Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable 
and Timely Fashion, GN Docket No. 19-285 (January 30, 2020) https://
ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10130208551747/PK%20Letter-
%20Jan.%2030%2C%202020.pdf.
    \81\ Ex Parte Letter of Fiber Broadband Association, Ex Parte 
Letter, WC Docket No. 19-126 (Jan. 3, 2020).
    \82\ See Vivienne Walt, Covid-19 Will Change the Entire Notion of 
Offices: Companies Eye Rental Savings After Working at Home, Fortune 
(April 19, 2020) https://fortune.com/2020/04/19/coronavirus-going-back-
to-work-from-home-commercial-real-estate-offices/
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We Must Ensure that Providers Invest in Improving and Maintaining 
        Networks
    While Internet slowdowns can jeopardize consumers' ability to use 
the Internet effectively, Internet outages can jeopardize consumers' 
ability to use the Internet altogether. Roughly 9 in 10 Americans 
report that a major interruption in Internet or cellphone service 
during the pandemic would be a problem, with nearly half claiming it 
would be a ``very big'' problem.\83\ However, networks are not reliable 
if they are not upgraded regularly and are not resilient if they can't 
withstand natural disasters or increased capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \83\ Monica Anderson and Emily Vogels, Americans turn to technology 
during the Covid-19 outbreak, say an outage would be a problem (March 
2020) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/31/americans-turn-
to-technology-during-covid-19-outbreak-say-an-outage-would-be-a-
problem/.
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    During this crisis, our Nation's networks are demonstrating that 
they are unable to fully withstand the increased capacity. Global 
network outages reached record highs in February and March of 2020, as 
an increasing number of governments issued stay-at-home orders.\84\ 
When these outages occur, families are completely prevented from 
engaging in essential online activities for school and work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \84\ Yevgeniy Sverdlik, The Pandemic Puts the Internet's Resiliency 
and Fragility on Display (April 2020) https://
www.datacenterknowledge.com/uptime/pandemic-puts-internet-s-resiliency-
and-fragility-display.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Since 2003, it has been the national policy to encourage the 
replacement of copper telephone lines with fiber.\85\ This policy 
became accelerated in 2013, when the FCC began a series of proceedings 
to encourage phone companies to phase out legacy telephone technology 
generally known as the ``Technology Transitions.'' Yet, current FCC 
rules allow providers to rip out old copper lines without any rules 
requiring them to replace those networks with ones of equal or better 
quality.\86\ Without regulation requiring providers to upgrade their 
networks, some providers have chosen to allow their existing copper 
networks to deteriorate and service to degrade. As shown in recent 
filings by Frontier as it prepares for bankruptcy, this is simply a 
case of putting short-term profits ahead of long-term profits for the 
benefit of share prices. While upgrading their customers to fiber would 
cost the company money initially, they nevertheless would have recouped 
this investment and profited handsomely in the long term. Still, they 
chose to leave their customers with crumbling copper infrastructure, in 
a likely effort to appease shareholders in the short term.\87\ As a 
result, multiple states have found Frontier (and other rural telephone 
companies) have failed to maintain their networks at even close to a 
serviceable level.\88\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \85\ Review of the Section 251 Unbundling Obligations of Incumbent 
Local Exchange Carriers, Report and Order and Order on Remand and 
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 18 FCC Rcd. 16978 (2003)
    \86\ Press Release, Public Knowledge, In Loss for Consumers, Ninth 
Circuit Rejects Challenge to FCC Deregulation of Telephone Reliability 
Standards (Jan. 23, 2020) https://www.publicknowledge.org/press-
release/in-loss-for-consumers-ninth-circuit-rejects-challenge-to-fcc-
deregulation-of-telephone-reliability-standards/.
    \87\ Ernesto Falcon, Cory Doctorow, and Katherine Trendacosta, 
Frontier's Bankruptcy Reveals Why Big ISPs Choose to Deny Fiber to So 
Much of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation (April 30, 2020), 
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/04/frontiers-bankruptcy-reveals-
cynical-choice-deny-profitable-fiber-millions
    \88\ Ernesto Falcon, Cory Doctorow, and Katherine Trendacosta, 
Frontier's Bankruptcy Reveals Why Big ISPs Choose to Deny Fiber to So 
Much of America, Electronic Frontier Foundation (April 30, 2020), 
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/04/frontiers-bankruptcy-reveals-
cynical-choice-deny-profitable-fiber-millions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The same problem can occur in urban areas. One report found that 
AT&T withheld fiber-enhanced broadband from a disproportionate amount 
of high-poverty Dallas neighborhoods, leaving the cities' low-income 
residents with severely limited Internet access, in some cases 3Mbps 
downstream or less.\89\ In order to ensure that all of America has 
access to high-quality broadband, Congress must require the FCC to 
reinstate rules governing the retirement of copper loops, requiring 
companies to replace old infrastructure with something of equal or 
better quality.\90\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \89\ Bill Callahan, AT&T's Digital Redlining of Dallas: New 
Research by Dr. Brian Whitacre, National Digital Inclusion Alliance 
(August 6, 2019) https://www.digitalinclusion.org/blog/2019/08/06/atts-
digital-redlining-of-dallas-new-research-by-dr-brian-whitacre/.
    \90\ See Report and Order, Order of Reconsideration and Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, In the Matter of Technology Transitions 
Policies and Rules Governing Retirement of Copper Loops by Incumbent 
Local Exchange Carriers Special Access for Price Cap Local Exchange 
Carriers AT&T Corporation Petition for Rulemaking to Reform Regulation 
of Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier Rates for Interstate Special Access 
Services, GN Docket No. 13-5 RM-11358 WC Docket No. 05-25 RM-10593 
(August 7, 2015) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-15-
97A1.pdf.
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We Must Ban Data Caps
    Consumers facing slow speeds and frequent outages will struggle to 
stay connected both during and after the pandemic. Data caps will have 
a similar impact, as they could force consumers to ration data. This 
could mean choosing between a parent accessing virtual medical care or 
a child engaging in schoolwork. Data caps can artificially impose the 
amount of data customers can transfer over a network, and often, once 
consumers hit those data caps, their connection speeds are throttled to 
a crawl. Providers claim that data caps curb network congestion, but in 
reality, their primary purpose is to encourage consumers to choose 
content the network prefers (because it doesn't count against the data 
cap) or to spend more on more expensive service offerings.\91\ Banning 
data caps is essential for allowing families to access the Internet as 
they need to during this pandemic.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \91\ Hibah Hussain and Patrick Lucey, Capping the Nation's 
Broadband Future? (December 2012) https://www.newamerica.org/oti/
policy-papers/capping-the-nations-broadband-future/.
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We Must Require Data Collection on Network Reliability and Resiliency
    Mixed reports of the internet's failure to maintain expected speeds 
across the country, and the record high number of outages, show how 
important it is to assess network performance during COVID-19 and 
after. Unfortunately, there is no unified source of data about how well 
our Nation's networks function even in the best of times.
    We need the FCC to collect data that fully reports how our networks 
are holding up during COVID-19, and we need the agency to then make 
that report available to Congress and the general public. During other 
emergencies, like hurricanes, the FCC will activate its Disaster 
Information Reporting System and use that data to issue regular updates 
on network status.\92\ COVID-19 has had similar effects on our 
networks, so the FCC should be issuing similar reports. We appreciate 
the voluntary efforts of industry stakeholders to share some network 
information during the pandemic, however, the conflicting reports 
require the FCC to ensure all network analyses are shared.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \92\ Federal Communications Commission, Disaster Information 
Reporting System (DIRS), https://www.fcc.gov/general/disaster-
information-reporting-system-dirs-0.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition, stakeholders need data about how our networks fare in 
the long term, including information about the number, length, and 
breadth of outages from particular providers, the actual speeds that 
consumers experience (as opposed to the speeds providers advertise), 
and how quickly networks bounce back after emergencies. With this data, 
policymakers could take steps to improve performance. For example, 
Congress or the FCC might consider imposing liability on providers for 
long, unexcused outages, or consistent poor performance. This could 
encourage providers to restore service as quickly as possible or invest 
in the quality of their networks. Furthermore, consumers could use this 
information to make decisions on which networks will serve them best.
Conclusion
    In conclusion, the digital divide is not a new problem. It is 
simply an existing problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given 
the essential nature of broadband, Congress must take every step it can 
to ensure that broadband is affordable, reliable, and universally 
available. We believe a comprehensive legislative package that 
addresses these issues will help us get there.
                                 ______
                                 
                                 
                                 

    The Chairman. Thank you very, very much, Mr. Kimmelman, and 
we now turn to Mr. Jonathan Spalter, President and CEO of 
USTelecom, The Broadband Association.
    Sir, you are recognized for five minutes.

                 STATEMENT OF JONATHAN SPALTER,

             PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,

              USTELECOM--THE BROADBAND ASSOCIATION

    Mr. Spalter. Well, thank you very much Chairman Wicker, 
Ranking Member Cantwell, Members of the Committee. I am 
Jonathan Spalter, and I don't believe I've ever been more proud 
to serve as President and CEO of USTelecom and supporting our 
members, their frontline essential workforce and their 
customers through this national emergency.
    You've asked us here today to share the extraordinary steps 
our members are taking, and also what's required during these 
uncertain times to keep our citizens connected. And I'm really 
grateful to have this opportunity. And I got to tell you, we 
don't have to go very far to tell this story.
    In fact, if we were to walk out of this building on 
Constitution Avenue, you go a mile and a half up Massachusetts 
Avenue, you would get to the Washington Convention Center. And 
there you would find not out of town visitors but you would 
find the Army Corps of Engineer, Medstar, the D.C. government, 
and USTelecom member Smart City, working side-by-side in 12 
hour shifts in harm's way to convert that convention center 
into a world class emergency field hospital.
    You know, Smart City teams are doing this exact same work 
in 17 different convention centers across the country, with 
another dozen or so teams on standby just in case their 
communities need to ramp up at the last moment emergency 
services quickly.
    And here's the bottom line, these active teams are 
operating at an 85 percent loss, and the standby teams are at a 
total loss with no guarantee of cost recovery. I asked Smart 
City Board Member Marty Rubin, who's also on our board of 
directors, ``Why do you do it?'' And his answer was, ``There 
was never any question. These are our communities.''
    You know, this is the story of all our member companies at 
USTelecom, whether it's AT&T's--just one instance $10 million 
dollars Distant Learning and Family Connections Fund or Big 
Bend Telephone, led by USTelecom Chair Rusty Moore in Alpine, 
Texas, reallocating unused broadband resources that are fallow 
right now in his local schools and redirecting them into the 
homes of students and families in need to ensure that they can 
continue to learn at home in West Texas. To Verizon's $55 
million--so far--contribution to push back against the global 
COVID-19 crisis. CenturyLink donating its time and equipment to 
connect and wire the U.S. Navy's hospital ship MERCY in a mere 
48 hours in its new home port of the Port of Los Angeles.
    You know, our companies have always gone above and beyond 
to serve our community, pledge or no pledge, and never do we 
stand taller than in a time of crisis. And the same can be said 
of our networks, you know, among the 10 largest countries in 
the world the U.S. is the only nation that recorded no 
substantial degradation in terms of speed last month in April, 
unlike countries that took a more heavily regulated path to 
broadband infrastructure, which has led to significant 
underinvestment in their network's capacity and performance.
    As the world shuts down, the U.S. Internet remains open. 
We've demonstrated that Americans can count on their network if 
they are connected to it. So where do we go from here to close 
the digital divide? Decisively, we must pursue with tremendous 
urgency, Mr. Chairman, a permanent fix to universal service, 
one that puts the digital divide in the rear view of our Nation 
once and for all. We need to evaluate carefully what the cost 
would be the speeds, the capacity, and the timelines.
    We also need to be crystal clear about the underlying 
principles that will steer our public-private partnership 
forward to get the job done. And I'm committing today that we 
will work with you to do this and we're ready to start now.
    USTelecom delivered to the FCC last year a blueprint for 
broadband maps that can identify with pinpoint accuracy every 
home and business that remains unserved in our Nation. Congress 
green-lighted this approach and thank you for that. Now we need 
it funded.
    From there we get to work. We should rely on programs we 
know have been stress tested, and not waste money or time on 
unproven experiments. We should commit the resources required, 
both private and public, and move forward with determination.
    I'll conclude with the words of my Board Member Marty Rubin 
at the beginning. There is no question what is the right thing 
to do, let history look back on our service, yours as 
lawmakers, and ours on the frontline of an essential industry 
and say there was never any question that every American should 
be connected. If not now, when? And if not us, who? Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Spalter follows:]

 Prepared Statement of Jonathan Spalter, President and Chief Executive 
             Officer, USTelecom--The Broadband Association
    Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, and distinguished Members 
of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify at this 
timely and important hearing. My name is Jonathan Spalter, and I am the 
President and CEO of USTelecom--The Broadband Association.
    I want to start with a big thank you to each and every one of you 
for your tireless work during this unprecedented time on behalf of your 
constituents who are living through such uncertainty and disruption in 
their day-to-day lives. And to those of you who have been personally 
affected by COVID-19, I sincerely hope that all of our friends and 
family return to good health in short order.
    USTelecom's members include broadband providers, suppliers, and 
technology innovators connecting our families, communities, and 
enterprises to the future. Our diverse membership ranges from large 
publicly traded global enterprises to local, Main Street companies and 
cooperatives--all of whom have stepped-up and stood tall during this 
emergency to ensure continued access to communications services for all 
citizens regardless of where they live and work--urban, rural and 
everywhere in between. I have never been more proud and humbled to 
serve as the CEO of USTelecom.
    This pandemic is unprecedented for broadband companies and their 
customers in so many ways, in particular the increased and sustained 
use of and reliance on residential broadband networks for virtually 
every critical function, and also the severe economic impacts felt by 
so many people and businesses affecting their ability to pay for 
service. These realities have shined an even brighter light on what we 
already knew--broadband connectivity is reshaping the delivery of 21st 
century education, healthcare, access to government services, 
entertainment, civic participation, and commerce. It has also shined a 
light on the significant impact on those of our fellow citizens who 
still are unable to access these critical networks--whether due to a 
lack of availability or an inability to afford the service.
    With these realities in mind, it is incumbent on all of us to meet 
these challenges head on with immediate actions to address the near-
term impacts of the pandemic and to simultaneously set a bold course 
toward connecting every home and business in America with high-speed 
fiber broadband service--including providing the resources necessary to 
meet that vision.
    Before turning to what we should do, let me start by telling you 
what our members are already doing to meet the broadband needs of the 
communities and enterprises they serve. USTelecom's member companies 
were among the first to commit to maintaining connectivity during this 
time for customers faced with financial hardships. USTelecom endorsed 
the FCC's Keep Americans Connected Pledge and our members are committed 
to working with their customers going forward. As the first billing 
cycle since the outbreak of COVID-19 comes to an end, many are starting 
to see that doing the right thing (maintaining service, in some cases 
without payment) is coming at a substantial cost. While their spirit 
and their networks remain strong, these companies are comprised of 
people, of your constituents, proud to serve--often in harm's way--on 
the frontlines of our global battle against this crisis, and dedicated 
to the communities, families, and enterprises they connect and serve. 
That said, several in our industry are struggling with the same 
financial challenges and uncertainities that many of our fellow 
Americans are facing. Programs like the Paycheck Protection Program 
have been helpful, but I encourage Congress to continue to look for 
ways to both ensure customers can afford the broadband they need and 
keep providers on sound financial footing as they continue to do 
everything possible to keep our Nation connected.
    To that end, we appreciate the leadership of Senator Klobuchar and 
Senator Cramer for their focus on direct assistance to companies 
requiring support as a result of the pandemic. We also appreciate the 
consideration of proposals that would provide support to consumers 
unable to pay for broadband as a result of the pandemic. USTelecom was 
honored to join virtually every association from our sector in a recent 
letter to the leadership of this Committee, including my colleagues at 
the table today, calling on Congress to assist consumers and businesses 
most impacted by the pandemic by providing significant funding. 
Broadband providers are doing everything they possibly can on their own 
initiative to help customers proactively through this uncertain time, 
and keep them as customers for the long haul. At the same time, we are 
encouraged to see serious proposals emerging in Congress on how best to 
provide support to those consumers and companies in greatest need as a 
result of the pandemic. We stand ready to work with you and other 
stakeholders to develop the effective, achievable, and practical 
mechanisms to do so.
    Despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented for our citizens, our 
workforce, and our companies, USTelecom members continue to rise to the 
challenge, and are doing extraordinary things to meet the needs of 
their communities. USTelecom member Smart City, based in Orlando, 
Florida, continues to face unprecedented challenges as much of its 
business is tied to connecting the devastated convention and 
hospitality industries. In the first month of the pandemic, Smart City 
lost over 75 percent of its revenues, and was forced to furlough much 
of its workforce, reduce management salaries, and seek emergency credit 
lines. Yet, in the face of adversity, and despite its mounting losses, 
Smart City soldiers on, and continues to deploy network engineers and 
specialists at 38 major convention centers across the country which 
have been or may be transformed into hospitals, homeless shelters, and 
COVID-19 testing centers. Just a few blocks away, at the Washington 
Convention Center, four Smart City technicians as we speak are 
deploying state-of-the-art broadband connectivity to support the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers and the DC government for the emergency field 
hospital it has now become. And at the San Diego Convention Center, 
Smart City team members are providing connectivity for the 1100 
neighbors in need in the homeless shelter it houses.
    But Smart City is by no means alone among our Nation's broadband 
providers in this collective and fierce commitment to keep our 
citizens, students, our emergency responders, and our enterprises 
connected through these anxious days.
    BBT, a third-generation, family-owned business based in Alpine, 
Texas, has worked to reallocate currently unused broadband resources at 
the closed schools it serves to ensure students in need have the 
connectivity required for online learning at home.
    South Carolina-based Hargray is partnering with educators, 
including Beaufort County Schools, to ensure students have the 
necessary Internet connectivity to continue their studies during school 
closings. The company launched programs to support remote learning for 
students in grades K-12 and college with free Internet service to 
households in its service area with students who do not already have a 
Hargray Internet subscription.
    To note just one of the company's many initiatives, Washington 
State-based Rainer Connect collaborated with Tacoma Public Schools and 
the Foundation for Tacoma Students to help get laptops and high-speed 
Internet service into the homes of Tacoma students. With the help of 
Rainier Connect, the partnership made free high-speed home Internet 
service available for student households who currently do not have 
access. These connections will be for up to one year at no cost to 
those who receive them. They are prioritized for students who have the 
most need, based on graduation requirements, advanced classes, and a 
lack of existing connections at their residence.
    Blackfoot Communications serves homes and businesses in eastern 
Idaho and throughout Montana, which has the highest percentage of rural 
schools in the United States. Blackfoot is making available free Wi-Fi 
hotspots in key areas to help ensure all students are able to 
participate in remote learning, download course materials, and stay on 
top of their classwork.
    From our local and regional providers to our national and global 
technology leaders, USTelecom's members are contributing massively. 
AT&T's $10 million Distance Learning & Family Connections Fund is 
committing more than $500,000 to organizations focused on connecting 
young people with meaningful mentor relationships--online. Verizon's 
total COVID-19 crisis commitment now stands at over $55 million in 
contributions and donations to nonprofits around the globe. And, in a 
mere 48 hours, CenturyLink deployed 1,000 feet of fiber line to connect 
the USNS Mercy hospital ship to a nearby network terminal, waiving all 
installation fees and donating 12 months of free service.
    These are but a few of the countless stories across the country of 
USTelecom members serving and connecting their communities and their 
country in a time of need. Though the tools and technologies USTelecom 
members use to connect Americans have greatly changed since the 
association's founding in 1897 as a business league of independent 
rural telephone companies, this commitment to service and to community 
has remained constant--in good times and bad, through wars, 
depressions, and earlier public health emergencies. This commitment is 
no less enduring today, in the broadband era. There are many more 
examples of how USTelecom members are going above and beyond to support 
their customers during this crisis at www.ustelecom.org.
    The Internet has emerged as the central means of keeping Americans 
connected during the COVID crisis and our Nation's broadband networks 
remain strong. As the world has shut down around us, the Internet 
remains open. This resiliency and openness is not an accident; it is 
the direct result of our Nation's broadband providers investing between 
$70 and $80 billion dollars annually to connect new communities, 
upgrade infrastructure, and innovate in their networks. Broadband 
providers made these investments as a direct result of smart bipartisan 
policy decisions allowing companies to compete, invest, and innovate in 
a lightly regulated marketplace. As a direct result, USTelecom members 
had the incentive and flexibility to build, maintain, and enhance their 
networks, which produced today's dynamic and secure networks that so 
successfully and seamlessly have met the increased demand during this 
crisis. While some unwisely have called for imposing utility-like 
regulations on broadband networks, the success we have seen during the 
COVID-19 pandemic in how the networks have adapted and are efficiently 
supporting the sharply increasing traffic demands of our citizens 
illustrates exactly why smart, forward-looking bipartisan policies made 
today's connectivity possible.
    We continue to closely monitor network traffic trends, and even as 
traffic has at times soared more than 25 percent higher than pre-crisis 
levels, the performance of our networks remains seamless for our 
Nation's citizens. Indeed, according to one recent study, ``[o]f the 
top 10 countries in the world by population, the U.S. is the only 
[country] that recorded no download speed degradation on average in the 
month of April.'' The same cannot be said for those countries which 
took a different path toward more heavily regulating and underinvesting 
in broadband networks. The essentiality of broadband service and the 
performance of American broadband providers during this pandemic is 
Exhibit A for a continuation of our smart, nimble, consumer-focused, 
light-touch policy approach.
    COVID-19 has removed any lingering doubts about the important role 
broadband plays in today's society, but it also magnifies the need for 
actions that make broadband accessible for all, including policies 
designed to address increased adoption, affordability for low-income 
households, and access to expanded opportunities for online education 
and healthcare applications. We appreciate the $200 million Congress 
set aside in the CARES Act for telehealth programs which, thanks to the 
extraordinary efforts of the FCC, is already proving to be a vital 
resource for many healthcare providers around the country. USTelecom is 
also encouraged by the $13.5 billion in the CARES Act for the Education 
Stabilization Fund, which schools can use to purchase technologies to 
support online learning.
    These are among several important initiatives to meet the immediate 
challenge, but we must also use this opportunity to meet the long-term 
connectivity needs of this country and to fully fund a bold, but 
necessary and fully achievable vision. One of the undeniable lessons 
from COVID-19 is that the United States needs to once and for all roll 
up its sleeves and provide the funding necessary for ubiquitous, 
futureproof broadband. Our goal must be 100 percent connectivity for 
all Americans. We've pursued this public policy goal for some time, but 
incremental approaches with limited budgets, combined with rapid 
redefinitions of how we use and integrate broadband into our lives has 
left too many Americans still without the access they need. The 
economic challenges of this goal are well documented and connecting the 
last one to two percent of Americans is extremely expensive. Different 
entities and even Congress have identified various funding targets for 
ubiquitous fiber broadband, some of which exceed $100 billion. This is 
a significant amount of money, but if that is what it takes to get the 
job done, then let's get it done.
    To achieve this, Congress should adopt a legislative framework that 
capitalizes on the work, preparation, and foresight of the government 
agencies it has already charged with meeting our Nation's broadband 
needs. The best programs are the ones that were implemented 
deliberately, well thought out with both government and industry input, 
and that can provide nearly immediate results. Rather than hastily 
standing-up unproven new programs in the face of an emergency, which in 
the recent past has shown to produce mixed results, duplication, and 
financial inefficiencies at best, Congress should leverage existing 
broadband programs in place today at the FCC and the Rural Utilities 
Service (RUS). Specifically, Congress should provide substantial 
additional funding to the FCC that it can allocate toward programs such 
as the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) which is set to launch 
later this year, as well as the Alternative Connect America Cost Model 
(ACAM) at levels that will achieve 100 percent fiber broadband 
connectivity nationwide.
    As we work together to emerge from our current emergency and 
prepare all our citizens to meet the challenges of any similar events 
in the future, investing in our Nation's broadband infrastructure at 
this moment is critically important, especially as doing so will only 
get more expensive in the future.
    Together, we therefore have the opportunity to move decisively to 
put our Nation's digital divide finally and forever in our Nation's 
rearview mirror.
    If not now, then when?
    For our part, USTelecom commits to work in close partnership with 
Congress to do the critical work of evaluating what will be the 
necessary levels of support needed (in addition to substantial 
continued private investment) to realize this vision, at what speeds, 
and in which timeframe. We also commit to bedrock principles that must 
guide our work, including ensuring the security and resiliency of our 
networks; the need for supportive, flexible, and forward-looking 
policies to promote continued investment in the ever-evolving capacity, 
speeds, and architectures of our networks; and accelerating and 
sustaining critical public-private technology partnerships and Federal 
programs fundamental to finishing the job of connecting all of our 
citizens in need to affordable and accessible Internet service.
    One hurdle in this challenge is knowing where to target these 
resources. While we are working toward implementing effective broadband 
funding mechanisms we can simultaneously develop a comprehensive 
broadband map showing precisely where broadband service is available 
and, most importantly, where it is not. Congress wisely passed the 
Broadband DATA Act earlier this year to do just that--but these maps 
have not yet been funded. Any Congressional broadband initiative to 
achieve 100 percent connectivity must start with funding the maps. We 
have to know where to target broadband funding in order to ensure no 
home is left behind.
    As we look to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead together, 
we know there is nothing we can do without the dedicated women and men 
who are working tirelessly during this crisis to keep our networks 
functioning. Many of our employees in the field remain in dire need of 
personal protective equipment as they work on repairs and provide 
direct, often on-site assistance to customers. As its chair, USTelecom 
has worked through the Communications Sector Coordinating Council with 
agencies including DHS and FEMA to secure and distribute approximately 
1 million cotton masks to broadband providers around the country. 
However, more and better equipment is needed. Congress should consider 
it a priority to provide additional protective equipment for these 
essential workers.
    Finally, on behalf of USTelecom's members and their employees, I 
want to acknowledge the important work of our colleagues in Congress, 
your staff members, and numerous Federal agencies that continue to 
press ahead with their important work. In particular, USTelecom 
appreciates the work of the FCC's staff who are keeping the pedal to 
the metal on important communications policy issues while 
simultaneously addressing COVID-19-related challenges. We have 
appreciated the FCC's foresight and willingness in providing extensions 
and waivers of various rules and to consider broader near-term policy 
requests. Local and tribal government efforts to assist, and not delay, 
deployment in these challenging times is also appreciated. For example, 
the Navajo Nation, which like many communities in America has been 
seriously impacted by COVID-19, worked with broadband provider Frontier 
Communications to expedite permitting and rights-of-way for deployment. 
Frontier is now laying fiber for new and improved broadband connections 
across the Nation to help connect residents and businesses to 
telemedicine, education, and economic opportunities.
    To that end we urge state, local, and tribal governments to do the 
same by expeditiously reviewing pending requests for regulatory 
approval or relief to facilitate continued operations and investment, 
including, for example, pending change-in-ownership approval requests, 
permitting, tower siting and rights-of-way applications, and requests 
for relief of certain reporting and other administrative requirements. 
We encourage Congress' support of the same.
    With your help, we can close the digital divide. With your help we 
can ensure all Americans have access to the connectivity that will open 
doors to their education, their healthcare, and their future. We must 
work together to ensure--in times both of pandemics and prosperity--
that all Americans have access to the greatest resource of modern time, 
the internet.
    Thank you for inviting me today. On behalf of the entire 
connectivity industry and our courageous and committed workforce, we 
appreciate all that you are doing. I welcome any questions.

    The Chairman. Thank you all. And we have votes beginning at 
noon. It's now at 10:36. Let's agree we're going to strictly 
enforce the 5-minute rule and that doesn't mean getting all of 
your questions in in 5 minutes. It's the question and answer in 
5 minutes. And I'll be using the gavel to try to get us all a 
chance to do that.
    Mr. Spalter, you were talking about the Broadband DATA Act 
just now and you said it needs to be funded. How much is that 
going to cost in your estimation? And how important is that?
    Mr. Spalter. Well, thank you for the question. Also, thank 
you again, for your support of that very important legislation. 
We're grateful for it.
    We expect that--we undertook pilot studies and we've been 
able to model that. We think that we can actually scale and get 
the national maps done at a cost of about $25 million, give or 
take, with annual plus-ups to maintain the mapping exercises 
going forward.
    We think we can also do it, now that we've actually 
undertook that important spadework in modeling these maps, and 
we think we can actually get and deploy nationally these maps 
in a matter of months.
    The Chairman. OK. I sure hope so. Let's move on. And I 
began, in my testimony, talking about the fact that we've seen 
Internet usage increase by as much as 47 percent since the 
pandemic began. I made the statement that our networks are 
performing and responding well to this dramatic increase in 
usage. Let's just ask all four of you to comment on this. Have 
I got it right? And if we're doing better, why is that?
    Ms. Bloomfield. I'll jump in Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. OK, good. We'll do you and then we'll go back 
to Mr. Berry and then just around the panel.
    Ms. Bloomfield. Perfect. And you know, we have definitely 
seen an increase in the utilization of our networks up to about 
40 percent. The interesting thing is we focus so much on 
download speeds and what we're seeing is that the upload speeds 
are also--that need for that upload is increasing as well. 
Where folks--particularly because we're using so much, you 
know, two-way communications.
    So, you know, I think that it's going to be important to 
continue to build these future-proof networks. That is why I 
think these networks, even though we're seeing the length of 
the time of the network usage expand, to fill the day because 
people are working from home and students are taking their 
classes from home.
    So you're not seeing that peak time when people are 
streaming videos at night to relax. You're just seeing a longer 
heavier use of that network. But again, it's both upload and 
download speeds and that is why we are so bullish about the 
fact that you all have supported fiber investment because that 
is allowing these networks to sustain that excess capacity.
    The Chairman. Are we doing well on the on the uploads and 
the downloads?
    Ms. Bloomfield. That's the beauty of fiber.
    The Chairman. Mr. Berry.
    Mr. Berry. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. And if you could get closer to the 
microphone.
    Mr. Berry. OK, is that is that good?
    The Chairman. Good.
    Mr. Berry. All right, thank you. You know, wireless is a 
little different in the sense that our, our networks are 
resilient, because many of them are self-contained especially 
in the rural areas. They build a network so that it'd be the 
network that they would like to utilize.
    They build in the possibility of innovation. They build in 
the possibility of competing with other carriers in the 
network. I think you're seeing the United States, fiber and 
wireless, they build to connect with other networks that have 
very high quality of service standards, so that you know what 
you're getting when you're connecting with the network. And 
there is some resiliency in multiple access to the network.
    So, we not only have a wireline capability, we have 
wireless, fixed wireless, we have backhaul that can be provided 
by cable companies as well as wireline and many of the wireless 
companies using microwaves. So we have a variety of 
opportunities to modify and provide diversity in the network 
itself.
    And then the one of the things that Shirley mentioned, the 
entrepreneurial spirit. There's this idea that they can build a 
better network and attract more customers and keep them because 
they provide better service. And that's what the smaller 
carriers, they have been, they've been doing it for 25, 30 
years.
    The Chairman. Good. We've got a minute now to squeeze Mr. 
Spalter and Mr. Kimmelman in on this topic. Mr. Spalter?
    Mr. Spalter. Sure. I'll be very quick. We are monitoring 
very carefully network performance and network capacity. We 
publish these data on our website.
    The Chairman. Are we doing better than other countries?
    Mr. Spalter. We are. In fact----
    The Chairman. And why is that?
    Mr. Spalter. One of the direct reasons, sir, is because we 
have made the ability to have a policy framework that allows 
and incentivize network investment by our sector upwards of $70 
billion annually. This light touch, flexible, forward looking 
approach has given us the ability to keep a new normal of 
performance during times of surge and in an emergency. And it's 
the key ingredient that's going to keep this success going.
    The Chairman. OK, Mr. Kimmelman.
    Mr. Kimmelman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly hope 
these companies are doing that kind of performance and--or that 
focus, but just ask your constituents, just the people in rural 
America have all kinds of problems getting connected and 
keeping speeds up. People in inner cities have some of the same 
problems.
    I mean, we're hearing it. I'd say, you know, your 
constituents can better answer that one. And I really 
appreciate you staying on the companies and the FCC to get the 
maps done, and get the service improved.
    There are a lot of gaps and holes and I hope the companies 
are on it.
    The Chairman. OK, thank you very much. Senator Cantwell.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you. Mr. Kimmelman, we're hearing 
you loud and clear, by the way.
    I wanted to ask you, your testimony, I think you have a 
longer version of it that cited many issues, but particularly 
you're calling for a comprehensive legislative package that 
goes beyond short-term measures, and I couldn't agree with you 
more. I think the witnesses have outlined why this is so 
critical. The question is, what are the solutions?
    So, you mentioned a couple of things in your testimony; 
more competition, some reliance on municipal entities. You 
bring up both something creative that West Virginia did in 
working with their communities. And then obviously, this 
horrific example that you have of Yakima County, which is one 
of the hardest hit COVID spots. I think it is the most hard-hit 
West Coast county, Yakima, Washington, where 30 percent of 
students do not have access to Internet services.
    So what one or two things should we be doing now to try to 
address this in a more comprehensive way? And I'm intrigued by 
your statement about the press and the delivery of information, 
too.
    You know, we have been pushing to have the next PPP 
coverage, make sure that broadcasters and news entities also 
can apply because they--we've had--we've lost tens of 
thousands, if not more jobs from broadcasters, and I want the 
local information to be there.
    So if you have any other ideas what we should be doing 
there, I'd like to hear from them. But what one or two things 
should we be doing on broadband now to be more comprehensive 
than the current programs we have?
    Mr. Kimmelman. Well, you just have to, first of all, expand 
Lifeline and E-Rate, money to telehealth, you're already taking 
some of these initiatives. That's the stop gap to get us over. 
We need to update the Universal Service Fund. We need broader 
contributions from the broader players in the broadband service 
ecosystem. It's going to take a lot more money.
    The infrastructure is expensive. That's why we call for 
sharing. You need oversight and the competition is critical 
because we know we're not going to be regulating every jot and 
tittle here. So there's a variety of ways to let communities 
participate more, open the door to more competition, don't let 
states block competition in broadband.
    And on the democracy front, what we've learned is that as 
we rely on broadband, the way in which we get that critical 
local news and information from broadcasters and newspapers 
increasingly depends on Internet delivery. And in the digital 
marketplace, we're seeing the flow of advertising revenue 
diminish, most direct--dramatically for newspapers. It will 
come from broadcasting as well. We need a new business model 
there.
    And I believe that what we're seeing with the explosion of 
the Internet is with all the good information, there's a lot of 
pollution. And that bad information, misinformation, falsehood 
about the virus, and more broadly, is dangerous to our 
democracy.
    So I believe you need a specialized fund, like the 
Superfund was for toxic waste cleanup. Let's get information 
cleaned up. And let's get it resourced to support news 
gathering, fact checking, helping people navigate their way to 
get around disinformation and falsehood.
    So I call it really a comprehensive program. It's time to 
update the law and address all of this together because all of 
these issues are intertwined.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you Senator Cantwell. Senator Blunt.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. ROY BLUNT, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSOURI

    Senator Blunt. Thank you, Chairman, great to be with you 
and be part of this hearing. And so, one of the hearings we've 
done in the last few days using a technology that we hadn't 
used before, where some of us are in the hearing room and some 
of us are not. Some of the witnesses are in the hearing room, 
others are somewhere else.
    I think what we've seen in the last several weeks is a huge 
leap forward in people's not only willingness to use 
technology, but also a greater understanding of our dependence 
on that technology. And really, I'm going to try to focus on a 
couple of questions here quickly.
    One is what if you don't have even the possibility of 
access to broadband like too many rural Missourians and rural 
Americans don't have. And the other would be what if you have 
access, but you can't afford it?
    So let's go first to the first question on access, I think 
I'll ask Ms. Bloomfield, and anybody that wants to answer this 
question for the record certainly could. Would there be merit 
to the Congress beginning to set some deadlines of our own on 
how quickly of these auctions and distributions need to occur?
    I know there's some discussion now of moving the proposed 
September deadline forward, but even if that was, if all we did 
was make the September deadline mandatory, would it be helpful 
or not to have a more clear understanding of when these things 
were going to happen?
    Ms. Bloomfield. Thank you, Senator. Actually, I think the 
FCC has done a very good job as they get prepared for the Rural 
Digital Opportunity Fund, which is the auction that I believe 
you are referring to, which will be the next tranche of really 
figuring out where those unserved Americans are and committing 
$16 billion over the next 10 years to connect those folks.
    I think, I actually think they're on track to begin the 
process in October, which I think given that we really want to 
make sure we know where those who are served and those who are 
underserved and those who are served exist, I think the ability 
to start some of the mapping initiatives that hopefully can 
also get support. I think this puts us in a good timeframe.
    I think the thing that I would be loath to see is that kind 
of effort delayed. I think we're on track. I think we need to 
start moving quickly. And I think we need to unify both the 
RDOF program as well as the Reconnect program working out of 
USDA. I think in concert, those programs can actually do some 
significant good.
    Senator Blunt. Well, I hope that's right. I believe that's 
right. And I think all of us believe that we can't continue to 
delay much longer. I think the FCC has moved forward in good 
faith here. But we might at some point decide that there have 
to be even more parameters on when those things have to occur.
    On the other topic of access, but no affordability. Mr. 
Berry, would you talk a little bit about what we might do to 
help people get access to this effort that could be 
telemedicine? It certainly has been tele-education for most 
Americans who are in elementary and secondary school and even 
college for the last several months.
    So could we be doing more to help people afford to be part 
of that process?
    Mr. Berry. Thank you, Senator. Yes, I truly believe so. I 
think the E-Rate program that Senator Cantwell mentioned, I 
think Senator Markey has a bill that would actually encourage 
filling some of those gaps on the educational side. And we need 
a rollout of broadband services that also include fiber but 
also wireless. And many times wireless, the wireless connection 
may be the fastest opportunity to connect, and especially in 
those areas that are not connected.
    But I can't say enough that we have to find where those 
places are. You need the Broadband DATA Act that you passed in 
this Committee, and we need to get on with where are those 
holes? Where are those needs? And then let's find the money to 
fill those gaps.
    And I would suggest that Gene Kimmelman is absolutely 
right. We need contribution reform under the USF program, you 
can no longer sustain enhanced spending on broadband activities 
if you're basing that on a revenue from a long-distance 
wireline declining fund.
    When the cost gets up to 25 percent of your bill, because 
you're making contributions to USF, you're pushing the envelope 
and you're not getting any more money to do what everyone in 
this room has said, that is we need more broadband in those 
areas that are either underserved or not connected.
    And I think we need to find those places first. Thank 
goodness this Committee did that. And now we need to get on 
with the business of what is the resource requirement to 
actually get it done.
    The Chairman. Thank you.
    Senator Blunt. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Well done, Senator Blunt. And now we move to 
Senator Klobuchar. You are recognized.

               STATEMENT OF HON. AMY KLOBUCHAR, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA

    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. Thank 
you to you and Senator Cantwell. And I wanted to note, thank 
you to Senator Blunt for the work we've done together to make 
these remote hearings a reality through the Rules Committee.
    I wanted to start with the disparity that we're seeing. I 
thought Senator Cantwell did such a great job of going through 
those statistics in her own state, a state that's home to so 
many great technology companies and you see this not just in 
Washington State, but all over the country where kids that are 
now being asked to learn from home and parents who are asked to 
teach them, the disparity when they don't even have access to 
internet.
    We have the story out of Minnesota where one of our tribal 
communities, when someone got Internet there in one household 
High Speed was able to pay for it. All the kids gathered in the 
front yard to do their homework. But we just can't have that 
continue into the summer and into the rest of the year.
    So my first question of you, Ms. Bloomfield, as you 
mentioned, the bill that I have with Senator Cramer, we now 
have 28 cosponsors, including eight members of the Committee, a 
number of Republicans and Democrats on this bill, which allows 
our smaller providers to keep providing service because the 
last thing we want to do in rural areas right now is to cutoff 
service.
    Could you briefly describe why that is so important?
    Ms. Bloomfield. Absolutely. And thanks for your leadership, 
Senator Klobuchar on this legislation. And I'm proud to say 
we're now up to 30 members of the Senate and nine on the 
Committee.
    This bill is really important because what it does is it 
basically allows the spirit of the pledge at the FCC to 
continue which is that people will not be cutoff of critical 
service right now because of economic hardship due to COVID-19 
and students will be connected.
    So what the bill does is basically allows companies to make 
that delta up between what customers cannot afford to pay 
anymore and to continue to keep that service up at that level 
or even a higher level. So it is--you think about it as 
essential services, I think about the analogies of the grocery 
store or newspapers. They're essential right now, right?
    But you can't expect the doors of those stores to be open 
24/7, and people take things off the shelf and expect them to 
continue to operate. You've got to be able to continue to 
support the support of the network. The ability for the 
technicians to connect the schoolchildren, to upgrade the 
speeds for those who are now working from home.
    So the bill actually helps create that--builds that delta 
in what people cannot afford to pay any longer. That in 
conjunction potentially with the Lifeline program could be very 
powerful at this point in time. But that support is so 
essential if we're really going to say that broadband 
connectivity is what we need right now. The support through 
that legislation is going to be absolutely necessary to ensure 
these network providers can continue to operate and keep people 
connected.
    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much.
    Mr. Kimmelman, it's good to see you out of the antitrust 
setting here today. And I want to talk to you about something 
we haven't focused as much on and that is all the people in 
assisted living, who are no longer able to see their loved 
ones, except virtually and it's a very, very lonely existence. 
And of course, also, we all know, also a scary existence right 
now and we sadly lost so many people who are seniors.
    In your testimony, you highlight how many older Americans 
can't connect with their friends and their families. Senators 
Casey and Capito and I are leading the Access Act to expand 
telehealth to facilitate virtual visits. Could you talk briefly 
about this?
    Mr. Kimmelman. Thank you. We also support your other bill 
with Senator Cramer. We think it's essential for the companies 
to be there in order for consumers to even have the access to 
broadband.
    So obviously, this crisis has shown us that we can't 
communicate, we can't keep up with our families and those 
particularly who has special needs like those in assisted 
living. We're fully dependent on a high speed Internet 
connection to just interact with them to just get some sense of 
how their life is going, what they need from us, what we can do 
for them to keep people working their way through this, and 
trying to deal with the struggles and the dangers of this 
pandemic.
    So it's just become crystal clear that telehealth is 
fundamental to healthcare delivery, and we need to build that 
into the system.
    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. And I can ask you this on the 
record, but as you know, we're working on the Lifeline program 
with, as you noted, only 40 percent of households eligible for 
Lifeline have actually subscribed. And that's something that we 
want to continue to focus on.
    And then finally, just this week, we put out the 
Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act with 
Senators Hirono, Peters, and Rosen of the Committee, to create 
a fund to help some of our college students who are having the 
same problem that high school and elementary have.
    And as we know, a lot of our students of color are having 
incredible problems accessing and here they are worked so hard 
to get into college and now they're unable to compete and to be 
part of that college experience if they don't have the 
internet. Ten seconds on that because my time is up.
    Mr. Kimmelman. Thank you, Senator. We appreciate your 
leadership. These are all critical needs. They're intertwined. 
You just remind me that the first Lifeline bill I worked on was 
sponsored by Senator Heinz a long, long time ago. I hope we can 
continue to make sure affordability is there for everyone.
    Senator Klobuchar. All right, thank you very much. Thank 
you Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. And Senator Klobuchar and Senator Blunt, I do 
want to thank you for your leadership on the Rules Committee in 
helping to make the technology possible and smooth the way for 
really a different day and approach in being able to hold these 
hearings remotely.
    Senator Fischer, you are recognized.

                STATEMENT OF HON. DEB FISCHER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA

    Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We've heard from 
some of my other colleagues about really the challenges that 
our students are facing right now when it comes to trying to 
work at home and being dependent upon their digital 
connections. And for those who don't have that access, it is 
not just the effects of a pandemic that is stressing but also 
the ripple effect out and how this is affecting their lives not 
having that.
    We all know that expanding broadband takes time and it 
takes investment. But I would like to begin with you, Mr. 
Spalter, and ask if you have any ideas on any kind of short-
term strategies that we can look at for this connectivity that 
can support the students that are home right now, and trying to 
maintain and grow in a different environment with regard to 
their education.
    Mr. Spalter. Well, thank you for that question, Senator. 
And I think that we are already seeing extraordinary voluntary 
steps that are being taken by providers: large, regional, and 
local; including right in your state companies like Great 
Plains that have been extending Wi-Fi hotspots and service 
upgrades and installations to families that have students in 
need to move forward, but it's not just them. It's Hamilton and 
Sawtown and CenturyLink and Frontier and others that are doing 
exactly this kind of work in your state and across the country.
    I wrote a letter to the FCC commissioners at the very 
outset of this crisis, saying we needed to move very rapidly to 
establish emergency funding programs akin to Lifeline, akin to 
E-Rate, to be able to accelerate our ability to get broadband 
service to our communities that are in need, particularly our 
learners in a home environment.
    And we have to be innovative not only on the government 
side, but also continue the innovation that our companies are 
showing on the ground supporting their communities and their 
students.
    Senator Fischer. Ms. Bloomfield, when we look at 
partnerships, we always talk about public-private partnerships. 
This is such an important move for the days that we're looking 
at right now, having schools being able to partner--not just 
with other government entities, not just looking for funding in 
trying to move forward but to be able to partner with small 
companies. Mr. Spalter mentioned so many that we have in 
Nebraska that have stepped forward.
    What else can we do to encourage that kind of partnership 
to encourage interested parties to be able to reach out and, 
honestly, just move us forward at a quicker pace? You know, 
I've mentioned how long it takes to get anything build out when 
it comes to infrastructure, that really applies to broadband. 
So how are we going to do this in a timely manner and be ready 
for not just the far distant future, but how are we going to be 
ready in another month or two?
    Ms. Bloomfield. And not only that, Senator, but I think we 
start to look and say what's going to happen in the fall? You 
know, we're hitting the end of the school year, but we need to 
be ready that this is not just a 2-month blip, that we're going 
to have to be ready to continue this education at home. And I 
think your point on partnerships is so important.
    One of the things that, you know, my companies have the 
advantage and that they're community-based, but I still think 
everybody needs that--a little bit of a push to say, talk to 
your local health clinic, talk to your school superintendents.
    When we saw folks kick into action really fast, it was 
those that had those really tight relationships that knew they 
could go to the administrator and say: Who in your school 
district doesn't have broadband? Who do we need to reach out 
to, to connect? Who do we need to bring broadband in a box to 
their front door to get them up and running?
    And I would say the same with telehealth, right? I think 
right now, we're not seeing a lot of that money from the FCC 
going to small clinics. But let's get those critical 
conversations going in these communities. They need that 
connectivity just as much as an urban area does. And getting 
the carriers and getting the public officials having those 
conversations and maybe even, you know, having folks like you 
go back home and facilitate some of those will help kick some 
of that off.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. 
Chairman.
    Mr. Berry. If I may, Senator Fischer. One of the things 
that is not normally known is that there are impediments in the 
programs that sometimes keep carriers from actually reaching 
out and doing that.
    I mean, the FCC was pretty good at lifting some of the 
requirements for donations. We have carriers that have given 
them Wi-Fi----
    Senator Fischer. Great.
    Mr. Berry.--MiFi slots, and tablets to members, I mean to 
children that they couldn't have given before and that's been 
very much appreciated, and it's maybe it's something we ought 
to think about going forward.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Berry. We can 
talk later about that, my time has expired. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much. I'm told that Senator 
Udall is next. Tom, are you there?

                 STATEMENT OF HON. TOM UDALL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO

    Senator Udall. Thank you, Chairman Wicker and Ranking 
Member Cantwell. It?s great to be here with you today.
    Today's hearing is titled, ``The state of broadband amid 
the COVID-19 pandemic.'' The state of broadband throughout the 
country depends on where you live. If you're located in Indian 
Country, the state of broadband is unacceptable and I'm glad 
that Senator Klobuchar raised this issue as far as the 
Minnesota tribes and tribes across the Nation.
    Prior to COVID-19, tribal communities were significantly 
behind much of the Nation in terms of access to affordable 
broadband service. Sadly, the pandemic has only exacerbated 
this. While tribal communities grapple with COVID-19 response, 
they must simultaneously adjust to an increasingly broadband 
reliant society. Now more than ever, broadband service is 
critical to telemedicine, to online education, and to 
teleworking.
    My bill, The Bridging the Tribal Digital Divide Act sought 
to update existing authorities to rapidly address this 
inequity. One provision of my bill created a tribal set aside 
under the Universal Service Fund, similar to what the FCC did 
under the Tribal Mobility Fund.
    This is a question to all the panelists here, what should 
Congress and the FCC do in order to bridge the tribal digital 
divide? And do you support further set asides under the 
Universal Service Fund for tribal communities?
    Mr. Spalter. Let me begin, Senator, it's good to see you 
again, even if virtually. I would be very happy to take a very 
close look at the Tribal Digital Divide Act that you and 
Senators Cantwell and Gardner have put forward.
    I can tell you that our industry is doing its best to work 
closely and in close coordination with the Native American 
Community and is committed to continue to work closely with 
them. I know that Senator Cantwell had worked with CenturyLink 
to identify for just for example, Neah Bay on the Olympic 
Peninsula occupied by the Makah tribe there and a Coast Guard 
Station that is very much in need of broadband service. And so, 
altered their own CAF build-out plans to ensure service was 
available in the Bay in Washington.
    Recently, then the Navajo Nation leadership worked to 
expedite permitting and rights of way issues that were impeding 
the speedy delivery of broadband to Navajo lands in Arizona, 
Utah, and New Mexico. Frontier Communications is working with 
them getting this permitting, streamlining done and now is able 
to actually deliver broadband to those communities that are 
being hit most hard by COVID-19.
    There's a number of steps and there's a number of points of 
light ahead and I really look forward to evaluating your 
legislation on the days ahead.
    Senator Udall. Thank you.
    Ms. Bloomfield. And Senator, I would just say obviously, 
tribal lands have unique challenges. We would also be really 
interested in your legislation, we have a number of tribal 
communication companies. And I would go back to the points that 
has been made about contribution reform being so important 
because there's so many different needs that we have to use 
that support in ways to bridge some of these divides.
    The other thing I would end with is take a look at what 
Sacred Wind is doing in your state. They're doing amazing 
things. They are bringing literally remote broadband access to 
the folks on the reservation right now and doing some amazing 
things in really innovative ways and I'm really proud of the 
work that they're doing.
    Mr. Berry. And same here, Senator, I think the tribal lands 
have long been overlooked. We have several members that 
actually service tribal lands. A good example is ATNI, in New 
Mexico and Arizona, applied for the STAs, the Special Temporary 
Authority permits to increase access to spectrum and they were 
able to turn up 54 sites doubling capacity, literally in a 
week's time--five to 6 days, in the very tribal lands that, you 
know, that we care so much about, about serving more.
    And I think some of those lessons that we're learning now, 
in spectrum disaggregation and also spectrum partitioning, 
should be explored as we move from relief to a more normal 
process. So, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to 
work with you on your legislation. I think it's a very much 
needed initiative.
    Senator Udall. Thank you.
    Mr. Kimmelman. Senator Udall, we fully support your 
legislation. We think that it's critical. We appreciate your 
leadership along with Senator Cantwell?s in highlighting this 
important inequity. And I believe we should immediately be 
pushing the FCC to use its Lifeline program and E-Rate program 
to make more resources available to tribal lands.
    Senator Udall. Thank you. I yield back Mr. Chairman.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN THUNE, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA

    Senator Thune [presiding]. Thank you. We've seen as we've 
noted earlier now more than ever, as we rely on technology to 
do our jobs, and stay connected to our families and friends. 
Just the importance of reliable Internet connectivity and 
ensuring that all parts of the country have reliable access to 
broadband services is critical.
    Without access to these services, we wouldn't have students 
continuing their education through distance learning. Many 
parts of the country's workforce wouldn't be able to telework 
and we wouldn't be able to provide essential telehealth 
services to many individuals.
    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I've been encouraged by 
the performance of both mobile and fixed broadband networks in 
the United States. Carriers by and large are meeting consumers' 
demands and even with the unprecedented amount of traffic on 
our communications networks, they have stepped up to keep our 
country connected. So we thank you for that.
    This is much different from what we are seeing in other 
parts of the world. Take for example, Europe, which has pursued 
a more heavy-handed regulatory approach to broadband services. 
This has resulted in far less investment in communications 
network expansion. And now today we're seeing their network 
struggle to keep up with the increased demands.
    Because of the light touch approach to broadband regulation 
by the Federal Government of the United States, we've seen 
access to these critical services expand significantly, 
including to some of the most rural areas of the country. And 
if we want the Internet to continue to thrive and serve as an 
engine for economic innovation and advancement, we should 
ensure that our policies continue to encourage more investment 
by the private sector in our communications networks.
    Mr. Spalter, could you just talk about what impact the 
current U.S. broadband regulatory climate has had on broadband 
investment, especially in rural areas? And would you expect the 
same level of investment in the broadband sector if it was more 
heavily regulated?
    Mr. Spalter. I think that the extraordinary performance 
that we're seeing in our networks today and the ability to have 
expanded broadband access, albeit still work to be done, is a 
direct result and is no accident--to exactly that light touch 
flexible, forward looking, and I must stress this bipartisan 
approach that has been the hallmark of American innovation 
policy for fully a generation.
    The reason that American broadband companies can invest 
upwards of $70 billion annually in our Nation's infrastructure 
to bring broadband, best in the world broadband, to our 
citizens is directly related to that policy framework. If we 
want to continue the runway for this kind of progress as we 
transit to new generations of service, and to fundamentally do 
the important work of closing the digital divide once and for 
all, that framework is a critical input and without it, we are 
going to regress, not progress.
    Senator Thune. Mr. Berry, you referenced that in your 
testimony as well. Could you expand on those regulatory burdens 
and how they will continue to affect carriers once the pandemic 
is over, especially as we think about transitioning to 5G 
technologies?
    Mr. Berry. Thank you, Senator. Your Streamline Cell Siting 
Act is something we very much support. We appreciate the 
effort, you and Senator Schatz have been stellar in your effort 
on that. I think that is going to help us advance 5G, not only 
4G LTE, VoLTE, and 5G, as we move forward.
    We're seeing a lot of pent up need for licensing and 
permitting, because, you know, the local, county, and state 
governments that approve the permits are sheltering in place 
also. So I think we're going to see an opportunity right after 
the COVID-19 pandemic crisis to have a new initiative in 
building out rural broadband, especially in the rural areas 
where you need to approve sites and especially on Federal 
lands. So, thank you for that legislative initiative.
    Senator Thune. Thank you. Ms. Bloomfield, it's clear that 
this pandemic has highlighted the importance of reliable 
broadband services, and I know you've spoken I think to this 
already, but what steps should Congress take to ensure that 
truly unserved areas are getting access to these services?
    Ms. Bloomfield. Well, thank you very much, Senator. I think 
you've also taken a huge step by initiating some mapping 
initiatives. So again, we can kind of do it right, do it smart.
    As we've talked about with this panel today, broadband 
deployment is not a cheap proposition, but we know how critical 
it is and I think we've seen over the past 2 months that it's 
more critical than we even knew.
    So the key is to do it, right. The key is to make the best 
use of those resources to take programs that you've got, like 
the upcoming RDOF auction at the FCC to take the Reconnect 
support from USDA. How do you marry those programs together? 
And then how do you also interject potentially what state 
initiatives might be, so that you are getting the best bang for 
your buck and you're reaching the most Americans and you're 
making sure that we're not doing this again in another five, 10 
years.
    Senator Thune. And very quickly, as a follow up to that to 
Mr. Berry because we did pass--and Ms. Bloomfield referenced 
the Broadband DATA Act, which is legislation aimed at improving 
the mapping process at the FCC.
    How important is it that we get the data right as we deploy 
new broadband networks?
    Mr. Berry. I think it's absolutely critical, Senator. If 
you go back a decade when we did the first broadband map, and 
then the stimulus programs thereafter, it was a shot in the 
dark. We spent billions of dollars not knowing where the money 
should actually go.
    We have an opportunity a decade later, through the 
legislation that this Committee passed to get it right. And I 
think it's the old saying measure twice, cut once. Well, I 
think if you only have $9 billion over 10 years for a mobile 
product, and you have about three times that on a wireline 
product, you've got to get it right the first time. And I would 
hate to think that we're going to overlook those areas that 
could and should and very well need to be connected because we 
don't know where they are.
    It just boggles my mind that we can't actually focus our 
resources in the areas that are in most need.
    Senator Thune. Thank you.
    The Chairman. I hope everyone is listening there Mr. Berry. 
Senator Tester, are you with us?

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JON TESTER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA

    Senator Tester. Yes. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want 
to thank you and the Ranking Member and the folks who testified 
today and I kind of want follow up where we just left off.
    It actually blows my mind also, because I'm in one of those 
areas where we do have pretty decent internet. In fact, it's 
pretty damned good. The problem is, is this thing right here 
[indicating his cellphone]. It works only if you hold it to 
your mouth in a certain position and it drives me a little 
crazy.
    So I want to--mapping has been talked about a couple times 
here. And I guess I'm going to start I could direct this to 
anybody, but I'm going to direct it to you Shirley Bloomfield.
    Can we build out in the unserved areas without a good 
mapping program?
    Ms. Bloomfield. So Senator----
    Senator Tester. Is that even possible?
    Ms. Bloomfield. First of all, I'm hoping one of my members 
serves you, but I believe I checked after the last hearing to 
make sure you were served by a community-based provider there 
in Montana.
    Senator Tester. Yes, they do.
    Ms. Bloomfield. Yep, mapping is really important. Mapping 
is critical. We need to know what we need to know.
    The other part of that component I would also add is the 
challenge process. So part of it is you've got the map and 
you've got people putting in data, you've got people self-
certifying, the other part of that is the ability--and this is 
one thing that I think RUS does extremely well, is before they 
put money into the ground, if it's contested, they go out and 
they check and they literally do speed checks and they say, you 
know, if you said this is what you're going to get, this is 
what I'm getting out here in the field.
    I think those two things go hand-in-hand. Let's get better 
data. Let's compile it. Let's figure out what we need to know 
and where we need to build, but at the same time let's make 
sure we're also able to challenge before we put money in the 
ground.
    Senator Tester. Right on. So just for the record, I think 
one of your members does serve me--the internet, which isn't 
too bad.
    Ms. Bloomfield. You said it was really good actually.
    Senator Tester. Verizon claims that this works on my place. 
And it like I said, it depends on what corner of the house 
you're standing in as to whether it works.
    So getting back to the point Shirley, on the maps--and 
anybody else can answer this, too. The FCC, unless they've 
changed their position have said, ``we're just going to start 
building out because we can't get the information on the maps 
quicker.''
    Ms. Bloomfield. I would actually jump in and let somebody 
else answer as well. But the beauty of the RDOF is they're 
going to start with the completely unserved. So I think that 
allows us to keep the process moving, but at the same time 
starting off where you know you've got no service. So I think 
that's actually a wise course of action.
    Mr. Berry. Senator, let me address that just a little. I 
think we can walk and chew chewing gum at the same time. I 
think we can identify where the holes are by gathering the 
data. I mean, Chairman Pai testified in the Appropriations 
Committee about three and a half months ago. And he said along 
with what Mr. Spalter said, that it's a matter of months to get 
the data, not years.
    And they produced what I call was a false choice in their 
5G fund. You can either spend the money now without knowing 
where it's going or the impact it's going to have, or you can 
wait for 3 years to get the right data to spend a dollar.
    That's absolutely a false choice. It should not be--should 
not be proposed by the agency of expertise.
    Senator Tester. I agree with you a hundred percent and 
thanks for saying that because the truth is, is that--look, if 
one thing this pandemic has pointed out is we need high speed 
internet, we need good cell service. Otherwise we don't have 
healthcare that can be distanced. We don't have to tele-
education when schools are not out, so it's really important
    I just got one last question. I'll direct this to you, Mr. 
Berry. And that is, if you had the money, do we have the 
workforce and you spoke of PPE, do we have the PPE to protect 
that work?
    Mr. Berry. Thank you, Senator. We've been getting 
sufficient amounts of PPE to our members. And I think all the 
group sitting here at the table, have had some experience with 
the FEMA, but that is now starting to wane. And many of our 
carriers now are seeing that whether it's mask or handset or 
sanitizers, and gloves, it's getting more and more difficult.
    Actually, we're trying to find and locate providers of 
those services and goods and equipment for our members now 
because it is getting very difficult to do that. And you're 
right. You can't keep the networks up and running if the crews 
and the employees are unsafe when they go out to do it.
    I appreciate the question and I hope that we can get a 
little better response going forward.
    Mr. Spalter. If I could--I could not agree more with Mr. 
Berry, we are in dire need of additional resources to ensure 
that what has been designated as a critical infrastructure, 
essential workforce, our frontline broadband providers are out 
there every day trying to get installs done, often in harm's 
way can have the protective equipment that's required.
    We've been literally shipping cotton masks from our offices 
to our members. We've got to make sure that that pipeline of 
safety and opportunity for health for our workers is in place 
and intact.
    Senator Tester. Thank you all. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Tester. Mr. Berry let me 
just ask you this, because we really need to know. Ms. 
Bloomfield said, with the RDOF, which is right upon us, the 
maps are less of a problem than with the long-term 5G Fund, 
because they will be directed toward completely unserved areas.
    Can we have a comfort level there?
    Mr. Berry. I happen to believe that RDOF would also be 
benefited by better information. But they have and they moved 
forward and they've set some deadlines. We have many members 
that are looking at that. And I would hate to see it moved up, 
because those that have been planning on participating in the 
September-October time-frame could be disadvantaged.
    But I think that everyone could benefit from better data 
right now.
    The Chairman. OK, well, you got that in. I was going to 
give everybody a chance to comment on that. But if everyone 
would speak to that in answers on the record, because we really 
need to know that. But this thing's got to happen at least in 
the time-frame that has been laid out. And October will be here 
before you know it. Things have to unfold before then, but 
answer on the record, do we have a comfort level that that is 
going to go only to unserved areas?
    Next, we have Senator Moran, thank you for indulging me 
Members of the Committee. Senator Moran, are you there?

                STATEMENT OF HON. JERRY MORAN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS

    Senator Moran. I am here. Mr. Chairman, thank you. It 
wouldn't surprise you or maybe our witnesses that I'm going to 
continue along the line that you just asked about, and a number 
of my colleagues have asked this morning, the inaccuracy of the 
maps and the consequence of that.
    When the maps were provided to me months ago, I don't know 
how long ago it was now. You could look at a map and see that 
it did not reflect reality in Kansas. And it would be easy to 
go places where the map says there's coverage and clearly 
demonstrate that there isn't. So we've been at this map issue 
for a long time, and it does seem--I serve on the 
Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the FCC. I was at the 
hearing that was just described. It seems to me that too often 
this has been presented to me and to Congress and to the Senate 
as kind of an all or nothing.
    These maps, we can use these and we can get it done. Or we 
can modify the maps, it will take a while and during that while 
the deployment of broadband will be slowed or eliminated.
    So, I led an effort a couple of weeks ago with the Kansas 
delegation, in corresponding with the FCC, regarding what 
balance there should be between the accuracy and the granular 
data, the information that we're looking for versus--if that's 
the case--versus the speed of deploying Federal broadband 
funding through particularly through the 5G Ffasund auction.
    I was going to ask Mr. Berry, and you just headed him down 
this path. But let me start with Mr. Berry. So do we see the 
one versus the other? I heard what Ms. Bloomfield said about 
this issue. I'm looking for the same kind of assurance, perhaps 
that the Chairman was asking for.
    Isn't there a way or is there a way--let me be less 
definitive in my views. Is there a way in which we can continue 
to deploy broadband while we acquire the necessary information 
to do it accurately and appropriately? And while the U.S. 
Senate and the Congress provides additional resources to the 
FCC to accomplish that, Mr. Berry?
    Mr. Berry. Thank you, Senator. And let me thank you for 
your letter to the FCC. That was an extraordinary letter and I 
think brought a lot of light to the subject matter.
    So yes, I think we can. You know, it has been 5 months. 
I've been focused on 5G mainly because that's more wireless. 
And wireline, it's easier to figure out where the wireline goes 
and where it stops and who it's serving, than in a wireless 
scenario, when you have a broad area that is--it's controlled 
by physics and the spectrum manipulation, so I think you can do 
both.
    Again, RDOF is more focused on a wireline and a fixed 
wireless solution. And I think in those areas, you may have a 
much better chance of saying we know there is no line that goes 
in to this place. On the wireless side. I think you have to 
have good data and this committee was very specific with the 
legislative statute in the terms and conditions and 
requirements. After 5 months of announcing the 5G Fund, I 
haven't heard the FCC one time ask for additional funds from 
your subcommittee or this committee or has started a new 
mapping data collection process.
    It's disappointing to say the least.
    Ms. Bloomfield. Senator----
    Senator Moran. Let me ask the others on the panel if they 
would like to add to this discussion.
    Mr. Spalter. I would Senator, if I could.
    Senator Moran. I'm not surprised.
    Mr. Spalter. So first of all, nobody I think in the United 
States of America wants to deploy broadband more quickly and 
rapidly and efficiently than USTelecom and our members and I 
say that because our members have deployed more fiber than all 
other parts of our industry combined. And as experts, I would 
say that, yes, we can move quickly, but we need to move forward 
particularly in the context of the Rural Digital Opportunity 
Fund. The auction for which is coming up in just 5 months. In a 
way that's not going to subvert as some have suggested, the 
competition put taxpayers at risk, potentially have money left 
on the table by up-ending the rules now to get money out the 
door in an un-vetted way, in absence of the competition and the 
process the FCC is moving forward on with its auction process.
    I think we can go through this auction and move very 
rapidly and the opportunity for Congress, it is your 
prerogative to insist that the FCC not change its rules 
midstream and potentially cause risk to the program and to 
future broadband deployment. But insist that those companies 
that have bid successfully for gigabit fiber to the home census 
blocks or tracts, be qualified and approved immediately and the 
money go out the door immediately after the auction.
    To do so before the auction, by changing the rules to 
potentially benefit just one competitor and their consultants 
would be financially imprudent and fiscally irresponsible and 
would put taxpayers on the line.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Spalter.
    Senator Moran. I withdraw my request for other panelists to 
speak. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you. They can answer on the record. We 
appreciate you indulging us there. Senator Markey.

               STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD MARKEY, 
                U.S. SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS

    Senator Markey. During this pandemic, it's not just a 
homework gap which we face. It's a much larger learning gap 
that is really becoming an opportunity gap for the children of 
our most vulnerable families and that's why yesterday I 
introduced the Emergency Educational Connections Act 
legislation that would provide $4 billion in E-Rate funding to 
ensure that all K through 12 students have homework access at 
home. So they have the connectivity, they have the devices that 
they are going to need during this coronavirus pandemic.
    And I'm proud that 45 of my colleagues joined this bill, 
including every Democratic member of the Committee and that our 
effort was endorsed by over 50 organizations including the 
National Education Association, The American Federation of 
Teachers, Common Sense Media, USTelecom, CTIA, and NCTA.
    So my question is to the entire panel. Do you support 
providing billions of E-Rate dollars to bridge the learning gap 
during the public health crisis? Yes or no?
    Mr. Berry. Yes.
    Ms. Bloomfield. Yes, along with the High Cost Fund.
    Mr. Spalter. We believe that there should be absolutely 
programs, emergency programs to supplement and direct dollars 
for E-Rate, Lifeline and to do so as quickly as we possibly 
can.
    Mr. Kimmelman. Yes, Senator Markey we fully support your 
effort.
    Senator Markey. So thank you. And I think it's going to be 
critical for us to include that money in this next package.
    Although students must be a top priority, they are 
unfortunately not the only ones during the Internet access 
crisis that we're having during this pandemic. According to a 
February 2020 analysis, 42 million Americans still lack 
reliable broadband and that is simply unacceptable. During the 
coronavirus crisis more than ever, we are seeing how necessary 
robust and affordable broadband is to the future of American 
life, education, jobs, and medical care.
    That's why I have introduced a National Broadband Plan for 
the Future Act. Legislation that instructs the FCC to update 
the National Broadband Plan, as well as to study how the 
coronavirus pandemic has changed the way Americans live, work, 
and learn online.
    I authored the amendment to the 2009 Recovery Act that 
created the original National Broadband Plan. I'm proud of that 
plan's roadmap for universal connectivity and the amazing 
progress we've made over the last 10 years, but work remains to 
be done. Mr. Kimmelman, do you agree that we should update the 
National Broadband Plan in the next coronavirus relief package?
    Mr. Kimmelman. Absolutely, Senator Markey and I think it 
needs to be done in conjunction with getting the money flowing 
for the actual initiatives. We can't just do the plan. We have 
to do all the other pieces to keep as many people on the 
broadband networks.
    Senator Markey. But we need to plan as well. So a vision 
without funding is a hallucination, but first you need a plan 
to make sure that it's spent correctly. So thank you.
    And, Mr. Chairman, I'll just say that finally I'll close on 
two notes. First, we must also address the T band in our next 
coronavirus package. Every day first responders on the 
frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis rely on T band spectrum. 
Unfortunately, a provision from a 2012 tax law required the FCC 
to auction the T band by February 2021. Instead of saddling 
first responders with billions in bills to move spectrum bands, 
Congress should do right by the heroes, keep us safe, and 
preserve the access to T band in the next COVID-19 recovery 
legislation.
    And second, this Committee must continue to work and 
conduct oversight to ensure we keep small businesses connected, 
and that carriers are not unfairly raising rates in the midst 
of this pandemic of what's most important today, more than 
ever, is that we keep everyone connected. And that's why I'm so 
glad that you're having this timely hearing.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you. Thank you so much, Senator Markey. 
Senator Blackburn.

              STATEMENT OF HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE

    Senator Blackburn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 
to our witnesses. I think it's fair to say that each of you 
have been on this subject for a long time. I enjoyed working 
with you in the House as I crafted the Ray Baum's Act and moved 
that to passage and the reauthorization of the FCC and of 
course, we were so pleased that was able to be completed by the 
Senate's action. And it did set up an expansion for high speed 
Internet and for putting us on the right path for 5G.
    And Mr. Berry, I appreciate that you talked about that and 
I--about 5G, and I will have to tell you in bringing up the 
USF, it is time for us to review that and reform it or either 
eliminate it and be able to address that component of the 
portion of an individual's bill that goes to that.
    Ms. Bloomfield, you talked about maps. One of my topics, we 
know that the maps have been incorrect. There's been quite a 
bit of discussion today. And my hope is the NTIA will address 
this. In Tennessee, we have 20.3 percent of our state that is 
still without access to high speed internet. I'm one of those 
without it. In order to work, during this pandemic, my staff 
ended up sending a mobile hotspot that we were able to use. Our 
landline provider has a space that does not--that is still on 
copper and doesn't have fiber and I'm in that area. So you're 
right, it makes life difficult for everyone.
    And Mr. Spalter, I hope that USTelecom will start to think, 
not just in terms of smart cities, but smart counties, smart 
rural areas, as you look for ways to expand access to high 
speed internet.
    In that vein, I think Ms. Bloomfield let me come to you 
with my question. Last year, as Senator Baldwin and I did the 
Internet Exchange Act and having these IXPs located so we can 
move greater volume of data, we need to begin to rethink the 
placement and rethink that access because as we have seen 
people are moving out of the urban core and into more rural 
areas for safety of their children and their families and 
there's quite a bit being written. So if we plan ahead, if we 
look at how this pandemic may change where society chooses to 
live and to work, talk about the necessity or having those 
IXPs.
    Ms. Bloomfield. Thank you very much, Senator and you are 
spot on, which is one of the reasons why we have created a 
smart rural community initiative to do just that, to recognize 
that rural areas can be very attractive places to live in. And 
I think we're going to see some very interesting patterns once 
our economy recovers a little bit and people kind of choose 
what kind of lifestyle they'd like to lead and I would commend 
you on your leadership on that legislation. It is another 
really important tool in the toolkit. What you have been 
looking to do is to make sure that it can be affordable to 
carry that middle mile traffic.
    What a lot of people forget is that when my carriers, who 
are small rural carriers, have their Internet traffic, they 
have to hand it off to a backbone provider to carry that 
traffic. That can in a lot of times be the most expensive part 
of that transit. And frankly, as part of the costs that aren't 
going down right now, if nothing else, they're increasing.
    So your initiative to make that a more reasonable part of 
the package will definitely make it easier for broadband 
connectivity, for robust networks, as well as caching of video 
services to be carried along into rural communities. So again, 
a little bit of foresight on your part, for sure.
    Senator Blackburn. Well, my hope is that we're going to be 
mindful of the load and the capacity of day-to-day operations 
of our regional carriers, if you will, as we look at how 
children are learning, how healthcare is being delivered, how 
economic development is needed as we repatriate manufacturing 
back to this country.
    And Mr. Berry, I have to tell you, I was amused, I read a 
story, which I thought was so innovative. A school district in 
Alabama had WiFi in school buses. So in order to help children 
get their schoolwork done during the pandemic, they moved the 
school buses into neighborhoods at fire station so that 
children could come. So a big cheer for WiFi and that ability 
and 5G, and the ability for them to handle that workload and be 
able to have enough bandwidth to meet the needs of those 
children. I thought that was a great way to get those tasks 
done.
    So, thank you all for your continued work, support, and 
interest. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Blackburn. Senator Rosen.

                STATEMENT OF HON. JACKY ROSEN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA

    Senator Rosen. Thank you, Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member 
Cantwell, for holding this important hearing. And, of course, 
for all the witnesses being here today. I appreciate Senator 
Blackburn talking about rural communities because we have a lot 
in Nevada, but I particularly want to thank this Committee for 
helping get my bipartisan Building Blocks of STEM Act that I 
introduced with Senator Capito signed into law last year.
    When we passed that bill, we didn't know we would be facing 
a global pandemic that fundamentally changes the way we provide 
students with education. That bill was about breaking down 
barriers for young girls pursuing STEM education, facing 
implicit bias, but now as Senator Fischer mentioned earlier we 
are dealing with the technological barriers, which could place 
education out of the reach for millions of underserved American 
students. As Senator Blackburn said, it's a particular 
challenge in our rural areas.
    In a city like Elko, Nevada, it's a wonderful and vibrant 
community in the northeastern part of our great state. It is 
ranked among the top cities nationwide for the slowest Internet 
speed. It's a list you don't want to be on the top of and no 
city in Nevada ranked near the top actually for the highest 
Internet speeds.
    So Elko is not alone. Sixty-five percent of our rural 
population is without access to high speed internet, compared 
to just 5 percent of our urban centers. And so, Elko with a 
population of about 20,000 has made significant efforts to 
incentivize providers to deploy broadband to their community, 
for which its leadership should be commended. But to encourage 
providers to deploy the city even dropped franchise fees to 
zero. But so far it has still not received any offers from 
telecommunication companies.
    So I know that we're going to speak to this and what else--
what can a city like Elko do if it has no takers from 
telecommunication companies? They need to improve their 
internet. All around Nevada we need to improve our internet, 
rural Nevada. What suggestions might you have for them?
    Mr. Berry. Well, Senator, I'll start. Some of our carriers, 
especially in rural Mississippi in some of the areas that are 
very difficult to reach, have gone around and signed up 
government businesses/pre-designated locations. And once you 
get enough of those interested companies and individuals to 
sign on, then they could see a business case to get a loan and 
actually build not only fiber, but wireless or fixed wireless 
internet. That's one area that you can do it--one way you can 
do it without government support.
    The other is if we get broadband data mapping done that 
would show up significantly as a hole or a gap and we could 
target funds that are already available under the, I don't 
know, if it's the 5G Fund or the RDOF Fund, or even some of the 
existing Mobility II funds. Those are a couple things that you 
can do immediately, but I think it really is up to the local 
government entities to help identify carriers that are willing 
to take that risk to go in and build.
    Ms. Bloomfield. And Senator, I would also just add in the 
spirit of thinking creatively, you know, one of the things 
about RDOF that I really like is that it is telling carriers 
who don't want to upgrade, who aren't willing to go to that 
next tier speed to basically cry uncle and say, ``all right, 
I'm not going to serve this area'' and allow other providers to 
come in and do that service.
    So I think, to Steve's point, you know, being able to get 
some of that support to do it will be important. But another 
thing that I'm seeing an interesting model is, I've got a lot 
of areas where my local community-based providers are 
partnering with municipalities. Municipalities are able to kind 
of support the business model and the local broadband companies 
are able to then come in and basically provide the service.
    So we think we need to think creatively about what kind of 
partnerships can you create in a public-private environment 
that will actually get the job done. And I think getting people 
to be open to those business models is going to be important.
    Mr. Spalter. If I could add to that, Senator. First of all, 
thank you for your question, because it cuts right to the heart 
of what we're here, with what the FCC is working on, what 
Congress has been working on, to achieve, which is 100 percent 
connectivity for all of our communities across the country. And 
the connectivity gaps that you referenced that we're seeing 
today I think are reflective of a few major policy 
deficiencies, not deficiencies in companies not wanting to 
actually deliver broadband. But because there are underlying 
and systemic policy issues.
    Let me just point to three. First is incrementalism. The 
fact is that we're constantly redefining in midstream through 
programs what is unserved is 4-1, 10-1, 25-3. And as a result, 
we're never really being able to as efficiently reach those who 
still have no service. The second is funding, we've talked 
about this, we need to ensure that that the recognition that 
delivering broadband is an extremely expensive proposition in 
our most remote and rural communities. And so, a significant 
amount of money is required to get the job done. Well, let's 
meet that challenge. And let's do it today.
    And the third, and Steve Berry, we've talked about this--is 
the indispensable input that mapping, and funded mapping, would 
deliver to ensure that we are spending these resources with the 
accuracy that's required to reach the truly unserved. Not where 
broadband currently is going, but rather to know where it is 
not going. And if we can solve that problem, and it is in your 
hands to be able to do that through appropriations, I think we 
will be much further toward our goal of 100 percent 
connectivity.
    The Chairman. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Spalter. Senator 
Capito and then Senator Lee.

            STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, 
                U.S. SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA

    Senator Capito. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. 
Chairman. Am I OK?
    The Chairman. You're on.
    Senator Capito. I'm good. Thank you. Thank you again, Mr. 
Chairman. And the Ranking Member. Just briefly, being from West 
Virginia during this COVID experience. We've heard--I've heard 
anecdotally from a guy in Clendenin who lost his landline for 
27 days. He has no availability for connectivity. So the 
landline really is his only emergency. I've heard from a 
gentleman whose daughter, he's in Waverly, she has to drive 10-
to-15 miles to get the connectivity to continue her education 
at West Virginia University remotely on distance learning. And 
we have these stories all across the country.
    I think Mr. Kimmelman points out in his statement, that 
West Virginia has taken some CDBG money and devoted that to our 
West Virginia Broadband Council to really have a good 
assessment of what we really have. Because as I've studied 
this, sometimes I think the reason we're not getting it 
deployed to where we are is because we're not really sure what 
we really have, aside from the mapping issue, where we have, 
where the resources are, who the people are, that are 
interested in really deploying this.
    So I want to go to Ms. Bloomfield first, because I don't 
want to rehash a lot of the questions but one of the things 
that you said in your opening statement, and something I'm 
concerned about deeply is we have USDA, we have FCC, we have 
Commerce, and we have other dollars coming in from others 
areas, providers and everything. I think the worst thing we can 
do is waste money here. And I think that's what's happened in a 
lot of cases.
    And so, those unserved and underserved areas are still 
unserved and underserved. You have a program, I think you call 
it the Forever Connected Broadband Program, is that aimed at 
that particular problem?
    Ms. Bloomfield. It's my aspirational desire that we 
actually get that coordination, because you do have, you know, 
funding is limited, and you got to use it wisely. And I look at 
things that USDA is doing, and how do we coordinate that, you 
know, through RUS with what the FCC is doing?
    The nice thing is, I think you're seeing more critical 
conversations there. But then how do they loop in if West 
Virginia has their own initiative? How do they become part of 
that? How do we make sure, for example, that under RDOF, that 
if anybody has gotten West Virginia money that that does not 
get them kicked out of eligibility?
    I think we've got to make sure that we have a coordinated 
approach. And that is really where I think Congress will take a 
very key role in making sure that all of these key agencies are 
talking, sharing information, sharing challenge processes, and 
coordinating where those dollars go so we can use them best.
    Senator Capito. Another thing that when I was talking to 
one of our main providers several years ago, I said, what is it 
really going to take? And he says, ``Well, Shelley is going to 
take time and money.'' Well, we're talking about money here. 
Let's talk about timelines. I mean, when we see what--I mean, I 
think this COVID, one of the lessons learned is this 
connectivity issue. It's just been incredible to the telehealth 
expansions and the way people like it, they like to have the 
telehealth appointments and it provides much more 
accessibility.
    Where do each of you think timeline-wise we're going to 
cease having these conversations and have conversations about 
maybe over exposure to Internet or things overbuild? Mr. Berry, 
do you have 3 years, 5 years, 1 year, 6 months?
    Mr. Berry. Yes, thank you. You know, the issue is 
predictable availability of assured funding. And I think you do 
that. I mean, we could spend a trillion dollars probably 
building out broadband in the United States. But you can't do 
that all in 1 year. You have to have the equipment, put fiber 
in the ground, it takes time, it takes permitting.
    You know, if we had a $50 billion USF program after you do 
a contribution reform, and you knew that that was going to come 
through every year, and you had maps that were accurate, and 
you had terrain factors. Like in West Virginia, it's, you know, 
a beautiful state. I mean, I was over in Davis, West Virginia a 
couple years ago and the Mayor carried three phones because he 
didn't have coverage.
    Senator Capito. Right.
    Mr. Berry. So, it's a great place to live, work and enjoy 
the mountains. That's a very expensive place to build.
    Senator Capito. Right.
    Mr. Berry. But I think if you had that, then West Virginia 
could in fact, get access to the funds that it's so desperately 
needs for broadband and so can the rest of the United States. 
And we really have to get serious about reforming the USF 
contribution factor and giving some real dollars, long-term 
predictable dollars to that fund.
    Senator Capito. So then Mr. Spalter 5 years?
    Mr. Spalter. Well, let me--I think that the only way to 
actually sufficiently and accurately answer that question is to 
understand that it is fundamentally a policy question. Our 
broadband providers are ready to go to work to not only deploy 
more broadband, but get more customers and close that digital 
divide of the last one or 2 percent.
    Timing is a question of what the political will to actually 
put the resources that will be required to have a permanent fix 
to Universal Service and it also equally it will be accelerated 
if we're ready to have the political will to fire up that weed 
whacker and make sure that we can streamline permitting. Make 
sure that Federal lands permitting is available and level the 
playing field when it comes to things like pole attachment 
rates.
    Senator Capito. Right.
    Mr. Spalter. Where co-ops and electric co-ops and municipal 
charges are tripled, quadrupled more than the rates of other 
broadband providers. These are all steps we can take.
    Senator Capito. The Chairman is telling me my time is up. 
Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Spalter and thank you Senator 
Capito. Senator Lee.

                  STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE LEE, 
                     U.S. SENATOR FROM UTAH

    Senator Lee. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. 
Spalter, I'd like to stop and start with you and I want to talk 
about firing up that weed whacker. I like the idea a lot. I 
live in a state, in Utah, where two-thirds of the land is owned 
by the Federal Government.
    As a result of that somewhat unique dynamic, it creates 
unique challenges for us. You know, anytime we have to cross 
Federal land or use a right of way, we continue to experience 
very significant project delays, sometimes very lengthy project 
delays that are tied to Federal mandates and regulations and 
bureaucracy.
    We've heard a lot of discussion today as to why we need 
more Federal funding. And I think that should certainly be up 
for debate, we ought to have that conversation. But I don't 
think that's the only conversation we need to have. And I think 
in the case of Utah and many other western states, where there 
is a disproportionate amount of Federal land as a percentage of 
our land mass, we're reminded of the fact that we can't solely 
spend our way out of the problem and there are other things we 
need to look at.
    Now, MOBILE NOW had some of these good provisions to help 
streamline deployment efforts on Federal land, but there are 
still a lot of significant problems that I think we need to 
address. What in your view should Congress do to streamline the 
agency permitting process for broadband deployment on Federal 
lands?
    Mr. Spalter. Well, first and foremost, I think the 
recognition that this is a profound and festering problem. I've 
heard stories from providers in Utah and beyond in other states 
not having to wait days and months to get permitting to 
actually provide access to unserved community, but measured in 
months, sometimes even years to suffer through those burdensome 
and illogical permitting problems.
    Your initiative through MOBILE NOW, other congressional 
initiatives, to actually do whatever we can to streamline 
Federal permitting to ensure that it is actually a process that 
can be coordinated tightly and in real time across agencies 
that have varying responsibilities on Federal lands. And to 
make sure that that is both prioritized from a policy 
perspective, but it's embedded into this principle.
    And you said it exactly right, Senator, that it is not 
money alone that's actually going to deliver the promise of 
full universal connectivity for our Nation. It's going to be 
smart policies to compress the time it takes and the burdens 
that are imposed on our providers to actually deliver that. And 
that starts with Federal land streamlining permitting 
processes.
    Senator Lee. And I assume you'd agree with me that the 
biggest disparity, one of the biggest single disparities you 
can see in this country is the distinction between rural and 
non-rural America. Right? In terms of access.
    Mr. Spalter. Yes.
    Senator Lee. And would you also agree with me that in 
western states like mine, the distinction between rural and 
non-rural is heavily influenced by--if not almost synonymous 
with Federal land issues. In other words, rural communities 
throughout my state are awash in Federal land. And so, oddly 
enough, in those areas where we need broadband access the most, 
it can be the most difficult to deploy in those areas, 
precisely because there's a mountain, a Byzantine labyrinth of 
Federal regulations that they have to go through in addition to 
the NEPA process, which can take many, many years. And that 
could do more to help close this divide than almost anything we 
could spend money on, couldn't it?
    Mr. Spalter. I agree. Another way of putting it is that 
broadband providers more easily can extend broadband and dig 
trenches right through mountains, then conquer the more severe 
mountains of Federal bureaucracy on our on our Federal lands to 
actually deploy.
    Senator Lee. Mr. Berry, can we better meet the future needs 
as far as spectrum in our country by doing a careful review of 
Federal spectrum allocations?
    Mr. Berry. Yes, sir. And I'm glad you raised that because 
wireless runs on the spectrum availability. We really do need 
to do a serious, deep dive on what are the spectrum allocations 
within the Federal users in the United States and then make 
some of that available for wireless use, commercial/auctioned 
licensed use. And that's the only way we're going to get to 
that next level of it in the 5G world, is if you get a mix of 
low, mid, and high band spectrum, and we do it sooner rather 
than later.
    A good example is, the one that I just talked about was the 
Navajo Nation worked with one of our carriers with this unusual 
opportunity to get an SCA. We actually doubled the speed and 
they actually doubled the usage and the capacity because we had 
more spectrum.
    If we can't get there, then we're not going to see the 
promise of gigabit wireless for a long time. And I'm very 
thankful that we got the C-band coming up. We got CBRS, it's 
going to start here in June. And we hope that additional 
spectrum will be made available as we move down the road. So, 
but thank you for the question. It's important.
    Senator Lee. If you could do that with the Navajo Nation, 
imagine what we could do if we had the cooperation of Federal 
agencies, including the Department of Defense in conducting an 
inventory and widespread assessment of spectrum that is in 
Federal hands. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I see my time has 
expired.
    Senator Sullivan [presiding]. As the Acting Chairman, I 
just want to say Senator Lee's points are right on with regard 
to cooperation involving the Federal Government to help us.
    Senator Baldwin.

               STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY BALDWIN, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

    Senator Baldwin. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman and to our 
witnesses for providing such great testimony today. As others 
have observed today, we have a new day with regard to the 
amount of use and reliance on broadband, high speed broadband 
in particular. And while this committee has spent a lot of time 
talking about the need for broadband access throughout the 
United States, the COVID-19 crisis has laid bare the reality of 
how needed it is.
    We've used broadband to work, telework, to telelearn, to 
access medical care, to connect with government services, to 
stay in touch with friends and family. And in Wisconsin, in our 
most recent elections to order absentee ballots and try to 
upload photo IDs. And so, I, this crisis in my mind may 
permanently shift more of our everyday lives into these modes 
of communication, work, learning, et cetera.
    I wanted to follow up on some of the questions and 
testimony that was provided earlier. I wanted to start with you 
Ms. Bloomfield about the increasing importance of upload 
speeds. You talked about the fact that we usually look at 
download speeds. But if you might just talk a little bit about 
what you've seen change in the last couple of months in terms 
of usage of networks. And you know what, what that involves, 
specifically for telehealth, telelearning, telework.
    Ms. Bloomfield. So thank you. So it's not lost on me that 
we are having this hearing using broadband connectivity as 
well. Right. So here we are talking about broadband and many of 
you on the Committee are actually using broadband to connect. 
And that's exactly that two-way communication that we're seeing 
really an explosion of.
    As we've talked about, you know, we've talked about what 
are the speeds, what is the right speed. But one of the things 
that we are seeing that I think is most interesting is that 
two-way that we are seeing people needing to upload as quickly 
as they're needing to download, to be able to do all of those 
WebEx meetings and Zoom conferences and all of the different 
two-way communication tools that we're currently using.
    Particularly as we think about teachers in the school room, 
you know, trying to teach to 30 children remotely using 
technology and for the children to be able to respond, to 
upload their homework, to share their projects, all of that 
back and forth. If we're really going to be saying that our 
world may be a different world and it may be a virtual 
connected world, that ability to have that two-way 
communication that is, you know, relatively the same time is 
going to be very important. We can't do what we're doing right 
now if you're having jitter, if you're having you know that 
that time delay. It really makes the tool so much less 
effective.
    So I think again, as we're looking at networks, and we're 
looking at the deployment of the networks, that robust nature 
is going to be more important than I think we had thought 
previously because we are seeing how people are actually using 
this technology. In the past people were very happy just 
downloading and responding on e-mails. But we are seeing that 
as we use it as a tool to stay connected, that robust nature is 
going to be really important.
    Senator Baldwin. One of the things we talked a fair amount 
about during this hearing is the importance of mapping. As we 
said earlier, measure twice before you cut or map twice before 
you dig. One of the things I'm curious about is the information 
that we are getting from schools about which of the pupils have 
access to adequate broadband speeds and have broadband access, 
and which of the pupils and their families don't.
    Are we using that data at all to inform our mapping 
projects? Would it be a good idea to do so?
    Mr. Berry. Senator, let me address that because I think 
you've hit something that we haven't thought a whole lot about 
previously. We have a couple of carriers that provided 
connectivity to the schools that did not have a WiFi, MiFi, you 
know, broadband connection sufficient to do you know, virtual 
education, and then the school shut down. And then they came--
the teachers came and said, listen, we have 150-some students 
that have no access at home. Well, our carrier didn't know that 
until the school principal came and said, we know who they are 
and we know where they are. And guess what? We went to work, 
that carrier started providing iPads that were connected to 
WiFi and MiFi. They put the facilities in the school buses and 
drove school buses to the neighborhoods where some of these 
children lived and left the school bus there so that they can 
have connectivity.
    You've hit on something that I don't think we really, you 
know, utilized the data and information that we have and the 
schools have because it's never been a need to share with 
carriers. And I think we can do a lot better job with that 
information moving forward. And that's something that we have 
to include in our maps.
    The other thing I'd address, and Shirley's concept, that 
people are working from home. And that's why we kept pushing 
and continue to push the Stay Connected voucher because it used 
to be you would do that at work, and now you're doing it at 
home and you're having to pay for it and the consumer is going 
to be in a tough bind as we move down this road, the longer we 
stay in virtual connection with our offices. So we hope that 
you would consider looking at the voucher program. It's 
complimentary to the Cramer-Klobuchar bill.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you.

                STATEMENT OF HON. DAN SULLIVAN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA

    Senator Sullivan. On behalf of the Chairman, I'm going to 
recognize myself. And there's been a lot of discussion of rural 
needs, rural states. There's rural and then there's my state, 
the great state of Alaska. So I'm going to focus a little bit 
on these issues. I do appreciate Senator Klobuchar and Senator 
Udall highlighting the needs of Native Americans/Alaskan 
Natives that's almost 20 percent of my state's population. And 
I do want to emphasize Alaska Natives, whether members of 
tribes, Alaskan Native corporations, or both, are just as in 
need of support from the Federal Government as Native Americans 
in places like New Mexico and other states.
    And more to the point on something that occurred over the 
recess, and is really burning me up as a U.S. Senator, 
continued personal attacks on the Assistant Secretary of 
Interior for Indian Affairs, an Alaska Native woman of 
impeccable integrity who's doing an amazing job, by senior 
Democratic senators are shameful, unacceptable and need to 
stop. And I hope all of my colleagues listen to that and take 
heed. But I'm digressing here on an issue of importance.
    Let me ask the panelists. What else can Congress do for 
extreme rural states like mine?
    Mr. Spalter. Let me let me just jump right in there. 
Senator, I had the great opportunity to visit our member Alaska 
Communication Systems as one of the first trips I made as CEO 
at USTelecom and I was able to understand the extraordinary 
complexity and challenge of delivering broadband to the broad 
communities, geographically that Alaska proudly has. We believe 
that--and we would support providing additional funding to 
health care through the Rural Health Care Program, at the FCC.
    We would recognize that the need for those funds has 
outpaced the actual amounts of those funds. At the same time I 
think we have to be very careful about not putting into place 
and implementing major reforms as we're struggling through 
getting our sea legs during this current pandemic.
    Senator Sullivan. A very good point.
    Mr. Spalter. We need to be cadenced, but we also need to 
recognize that rural healthcare provision through that program, 
unique to Alaska, is very important.
    Senator Sullivan. And as you know, now, a lot of people are 
talking about rural health care. My state was actually the lead 
innovator of that just for the needs of the populations in 
Alaska. We have over 200 communities that are not actually 
connected by roads. So this is imperative. I think the FCC 
Chairman, unfortunately, has failed to recognize how important 
this is. So we're going to keep pressing that issue, but I 
appreciate your thoughts and ideas on that.
    Ms. Bloomfield, can I ask you, and maybe if you also want 
to address my initial question, but in addition, I'm 
cosponsoring with Senator Klobuchar the Keeping Critical 
Connectors Act which is more focused on smaller providers, 
which, of course in Alaska, we have a number of those. Can you 
talk to how you think that's going to be helpful and again, for 
all the panelists, I'll just put this out there, the PPP 
program. Have the smaller telecoms been able to access that, in 
your experience, what are you hearing with regard to those 
issues?
    And again, I'll open it up for all the panelists to address 
any and all the comments and questions I just asked, but why 
don't we start with you.
    Ms. Bloomfield. So Senator, that was--there was a lot in 
there, so I'm going to try to go really fast.
    Senator Sullivan. Yes, there was a lot in there.
    Ms. Bloomfield. Alaska is unique and that's one of the 
reasons why the FCC had done the Alaska plan to basically take 
a look and make sure that they got the support that they need, 
because they're----
    Senator Sullivan. And we appreciated that.
    Ms. Bloomfield. And it was important. And I think it's time 
now to start thinking about what that next step is because we 
know how quickly time passes. So I think, you know, the folks 
in Alaska are led by a great state association and they're 
thinking already proactively on that. So I think that's one 
piece.
    On the second piece. When you talk about the Keeping 
Critical Connections Act, it's really important. It is the 
piece that is going to allow these essential providers to 
continue to build and sustain and maintain their networks while 
people aren't able to afford to pay for the service. So I think 
it is a really important initiative. And we're very delighted 
that you're co-sponsoring that.
    Senator Sullivan. Well, it has strong bipartisan support, 
as you've seen. So we're going to hopefully move that here in 
the Commerce Committee.
    Ms. Bloomfield. Absolutely. And on the rural health care, 
the leadership from Alaska has been critical. I will just share 
an anecdote that we offer a tele-doc program. We provide health 
care insurance to 60,000 rural Americans through our programs. 
We have seen the increase in our tele-doc program, 45 percent 
in March, 55 percent in April. The need is there. We just need 
to get some of those other pieces together, but you need the 
underlying broadband to make that connectivity work. And then 
we can work on licensing and all of the other bureaucracies 
that go along with that.
    Senator Sullivan. Great, thank you.
    Mr. Berry. Thank you, Senator. We have I think five members 
including GCI as--Senator Sullivan. Yes.
    Mr. Berry.--members of our association. Thank you for all 
your help all your constant support and work on how do you 
serve an area as vast as your state? It's unbelievable.
    Senator Sullivan. It has been a frustration with the FCC 
Chairman. I'll just say.
    Mr. Berry. We share that occasionally.
    Senator Sullivan. Yes, I know you do.
    Mr. Berry. But--but thank you. And you mentioned the KCC, 
the Keep Americans Connected Pledge. We also we support the 
Stay--which I think is complimentary support the Stay Connected 
voucher program. Because when you ask the customer, a consumer, 
what do you want? They're going to say, I want to pay my bill. 
If you ask the carrier, what do you want? I want to be able to 
keep my network up and running.
    And just as the PPP program was conceived as a 
complimentary program to the SBA Loan and for Loan Forgiveness 
program, I think these two programs go hand-in-hand. It 
addresses the need to have the, you know, network up and 
running and fill those holes that have, quite frankly, it hurt 
a lot of small carriers right now, but it also addresses the 
issue that the consumer. The consumer gets to make the 
decision, what is the most important connectivity in their 
household, and I think we do both things, because this is a 
severe crisis that we're going through in Alaska. God bless 
them up there. I've got a first cousin up there. It's a tough--
right now, it's a tough----
    Senator Sullivan. We have challenges, but we'll get through 
it. We're a tough, resilient state.
    Senator Schatz.

                STATEMENT OF HON. BRIAN SCHATZ, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII

    Senator Schatz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for all 
of your testimony, and all of your good work. I am struck by 
the following dynamic. It seems to me that we're having the 
same conversation that we normally have about broadband and 
connectivity and telehealth, and now distance learning and the 
homework gap. And all of that is really important, but we're 
missing the plot. We're missing the fact that right now, kids 
can't learn. We're missing the fact that right now, teachers 
can?t even teach because they lack connectivity in their homes.
    And so, we need to think in terms of phasing this out and I 
am, you know, I take a backseat to no one on criticizing the 
FCC about mapping or the use of USF or whatever it is. But a 
lot of what's being contemplated today in this hearing is at 
least medium-term and a lot of it long-term, $16 billion over 
10 years, mapping reform, USF reform, and we've got to move at 
the speed of the virus.
    And so, I have one simple question. We are going to be 
contemplating the HEROES Act as it comes over from the House of 
Representatives. What is the one thing that we ought to do 
right away in the next piece of legislation in order to connect 
people in whatever way is possible? And think of it as a band 
aid, whether it's WiFi hotspots or whatever we need to do, but 
we don't have the luxury of thinking about broadband 
infrastructure over the next six to 18 months or five to 10 
years. We have to figure out how to connect kids right now. We 
have to figure out how to connect people who are eligible for 
telehealth under Medicare right now.
    And so, I'll start with Mr. Kimmelman and go down the line, 
what's the one thing we ought to do? In the next bill?
    Mr. Kimmelman. Thank you, Senator Schatz, I think you're 
spot on. I think you need to put money immediately into 
expanding E-Rate and allow the schools to be used to serve 
adjacencies to expand WiFi availability. If we can't get to the 
digging right away. If we can't build out the infrastructure 
right away, you should put a lot of money into that. But let's 
take full advantage of the spectrum and the facilities we have 
to share more broadly so that more kids and frankly communities 
can be connected.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you. Jump ball.
    Mr. Spalter. I'll grab that ball Senator, and I completely 
agree with you from the get-go. We sent a letter to all of the 
commissioners at the FCC we recently with seven associations 
came together and asked Congress do exactly the same thing. 
Which is a) let's get significant funding immediately out the 
door to support those families, communities, and enterprises 
that are currently in need.
    With respect to FCC-related programs. We called on the FCC 
to establish immediately a Lifeline-like program that can be 
constituted as an emergency funding program so it will be able 
to do an end-run around all of the Byzantine rules and 
requirements and compliance obligations so that we can actually 
get money out the door quickly.
    With respect to Lifeline. You know, at a minimum such a new 
program should also tweak the rules to support one fixed and 
one mobile broadband connection per household immediately. 
Similarly with E-Rate, let's think more flexibly in an 
emergency program that would be able to direct more assistance 
immediately with more flexibility in rules that would actually 
be able to deliver those dollars,
    Two key principles. One, they have to be administrable in 
an easy way. And two, we have to have very low barriers for 
folks, both consumers and for providers for signing up for 
these programs. Those have to go hand-in-hand.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you.
    Ms. Bloomfield. All right, I'm going to do three points: 
One, create an emergency Lifeline program to allow those folks 
who can't afford conductivity to stay connected. Two, support 
the networks themselves through the Keeping Critical 
Connections Act. And three, look at the DOE money that they 
just received, $16 billion, and make sure that some of that 
money goes to tools and applications and broadband for school 
children.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you.
    Mr. Berry. And I would I would second that. I would say 
that first, like a good physician, first you do no harm. I 
think the first thing you have to do is make sure these 
networks are up and running, the KCC program does that. The 
Stay Connected voucher program takes care of the consumers to 
make sure that they continue to be connected. And then I think 
you have to do some triage on those programs that are there 
right now like the E-Rate program, and the Lifeline program. 
That you can beef those up because you don't need six, ten, 12 
months in order to deliver solutions. You need immediate 
relief.
    And then let's talk about how we do this in a much more 
methodical fashion as we move forward to get broadband 
connectivity to 100 percent of the United States.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you very much.
    Senator Sullivan. Senator Blumenthal.

             STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT

    Senator Blumenthal. Thanks, Senator Sullivan. And thank you 
all for being here. Thanks for your leadership. I want to 
pursue that line of questioning about Lifeline and E-Rate, 
because I do think they are key to bridging and closing the 
digital divide and the homework gap that is ongoing right now. 
It's urgent and pressing. We need to meet it. We need a bold 
plan and leadership and I am proud to have led a letter with 26 
of my Senate colleagues to congressional leadership calling for 
$1 billion right away for the Lifeline program.
    Lifeline and other emergency broadband benefits ought to be 
at the core of a comprehensive plan. And I think we've been 
sort of marching around it. In normal times Lifeline is 
underfunded, during a pandemic and when schools are shut down 
and businesses are shuttered, it is more essential than ever.
    And we ought to remind ourselves that after Hurricane 
Katrina, the FCC took sweeping action to keep those whose lives 
have been upended by disaster connected through the Internet 
and within 1 month dedicated more than $200 million to fund 
connectivity efforts and aggressively opened up Lifeline and E-
Rate programs to new carriers and subscribers.
    I am thankful to FCC Chairman Pai. He's made some useful 
changes to Lifeline and E-Rate in recent weeks, but by 
comparison, these changes are just baby steps in the right 
direction.
    So let me ask every one of you whether you have an 
estimate. Let's talk dollars about how much should be devoted 
to Lifeline. Is $1 billion the right amount? Would you 
recommend more or less? Again, let's go down the line and ask--
for Mr. Kimmelman, since you're by remote to start us.
    Mr. Kimmelman. Thank you Senator Blumenthal, it's a great 
initiative. If Senator Schatz had given me more options, I 
would have had Lifeline right there with use of the existing 
wireless facilities. One billion at least. I think you could 
spend quite a bit more because the cost of high speed broadband 
is so out of reach for so many people.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Spalter.
    Mr. Spalter. Let me let me say that without specifically 
saying what the amount is, I do think that we should think as 
well on program reforms so that these temporary emergency 
programs both for Lifeline and E-Rate can actually flow money 
as quickly as possible.
    We have, a past is prologue, we've seen that that can be 
done through the Telehealth Emergency program, where dollars 
are actually reaching hospital systems to actually stand up 
telehealth initiatives. We could do the same with Lifeline and 
E-Rate.
    For example, extending the waivers or changes to E-Rate 
rules to include dollars to flow to actually allowing teachers 
and students, their families, to have access to funds for not 
just connectivity, but for devices at home.
    With respect to Lifeline, we could move very quickly to 
think about mechanisms to ensure that a temporary emergency 
program would be extensible not just to traditional Lifeline 
eligible participants, but to gig workers, to newly unemployed 
workers, so that the scope of impact can actually be broader in 
this immediate moment. I agree that the actual number, the 
dollar figure is going to not be in the millions. It will be in 
the billions, but we need to move quickly.
    Senator Blumenthal. Well, I think that's a helpful answer, 
since you're talking about billions as Mr. Kimmelman is, as 
well. Ms. Bloomfield.
    Ms. Bloomfield. I'd be loath to guess what the number is, 
but I think it's going to be significant. And I think that your 
initiative to be thinking about an emergency plan because there 
are going to be some people who are newly unemployed, who will 
not be immediately eligible for the existing Lifeline program. 
So how do we capture those people whose lives have just been 
up-ended? And these are the same households that have students 
that need access.
    So I think it's going to be looking at the program in the 
long run, but in the short run doing something where we can get 
that support out the door, and I will say, you know, again, the 
Keeping Critical Connections Act will allow these small 
providers to maintain or increase the speeds to those 
consumers, that will actually be a complement to the Lifeline 
subsidy.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you.
    Mr. Berry. And, Senator, I totally agree you're on the 
right track. As I mentioned, we support the Stay Connected 
voucher program. That would be a compliment to the Lifeline and 
the E-Rate program. When you think about it, it goes directly 
to the consumer. Empowers the consumer. They make the decision. 
It could cost, depending on if you have two vouchers to each 
household, up to nine plus billion dollars.
    So there's your number for getting funds and much needed 
access to communications services directly. And the thing about 
it is the process is already established. The CARES Act already 
has sent, you know, $1,200 checks to everyone, and it goes down 
deeper and more technology neutral than anything else that's 
out there. It can be done immediately. And I think it'd be very 
complementary to your concept.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. I appreciate all of your 
supporting this concept in real dollars because we have that 
job of making it happen. And we can all support the principles 
here, but the dollars really make the difference. And so thank 
you all for your support. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Sullivan. Senator Sinema.

               STATEMENT OF HON. KYRSTEN SINEMA, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA

    Senator Sinema. Thank you Senator Sullivan and thank you to 
all of our witnesses for participating today. The coronavirus 
pandemic has highlighted the importance of having reliable high 
speed Internet access throughout the country. It's a difficult 
time for Arizonians, but having broadband access opens up many 
opportunities for more employees to work from home, students to 
participate in distance learning, for families to access 
telehealth, for friends to keep in touch, and even for United 
States Senators to participate in Commerce Committee hearings 
remotely.
    Yet, according to the Department of Commerce, 28 million 
American households cannot access the Internet from home. So 
expanding broadband for rural, tribal, and urban communities is 
critical for families in Arizona during this crisis and into 
the future. I was proud to support broadband provisions in the 
CARES Act, but we need to do more.
    The next relief package must continue to expand access for 
Arizonians. Looking forward, we need to make sure that we have 
a long-term plan to invest in broadband infrastructure, ensure 
that we have an appropriate regulatory framework, develop 
better coverage maps, and utilize Federal resources 
efficiently. And I'm looking forward to working with all the 
stakeholders and my colleagues on this committee to address 
these issues.
    My first question is for Mr. Kimmelman. As you know over 20 
million Americans, including 12 million children, lack reliable 
Internet access, which is a necessity for Arizona students to 
get online learning during this crisis. I've heard amazing 
stories of communities in Arizona working to mitigate these 
challenges for students.
    For example, two dozen school buses in Tucson Sunnyside 
Unified School District are parked in parking lots around the 
community. They provide Internet access for nearby students so 
that they can receive assignments and communicate with their 
teachers.
    I'm a cosponsor of Senate bill S. 738, which is a bill that 
requires the FCC to make the provision of WiFi access on buses 
eligible for E-Rate support. This bill addresses the homework 
gap by helping students who can't get the Internet at home.
    My question for you is how else do you think we can support 
kids with their distance learning? And how can we support 
school districts that are utilizing innovative options during 
school closures?
    Mr. Kimmelman. Thank you, Senator Sinema. I really 
appreciate your efforts here because the access Wi-Fi on buses 
is critical triage right now and an immediate crisis and I hope 
the Congress will move forward on that. I think from there, we 
need to make sure we're getting the infrastructure builds as 
quickly as possible in unserved communities, shovels in the 
ground where you know you need fiber and get moving faster than 
what the FCC has been doing. We need to put the money into 
deployment so supporting small companies, as Senator Klobuchar 
suggested with Senator Cramer, and expanding Lifeline so that 
those who can't afford broadband where it exists, can at least 
have access to it and can take advantage of it.
    We need to get everyone on the network who can possibly be 
on the network so that you can provide health care services and 
expand telehealth so that you can make education work as 
distance learning the best you can. Those are a variety of 
initiatives that need to happen immediately.
    Senator Sinema. So I appreciate it. My next question is for 
Mr. Berry and Mr. Kimmelman. Broadband is essential to ensure 
tribal communities across the country have the resources they 
need to preserve public health and repair economic fallout. But 
seven in 10 residents on rural tribal lands remain without 
access.
    The Navajo Nation, as you know, has been disproportionately 
affected by the coronavirus pandemic, we have over 100 
confirmed deaths. I've heard from Navajo Nation leadership that 
Internet access is essential to help them mitigate this crisis 
in their community.
    During my time in the Senate, I've worked hard to ensure 
that tribes in Arizona can utilize the gigahertz band for 
broadband services and I was glad to see that last month, the 
FCC agreed to let the Navajo Nation use unassigned spectrum to 
help increase access during the crisis.
    They've also received funding from the telehealth program 
in the CARES Act to provide home health care and remote 
monitoring services to patients who are isolated, including low 
income elderly and high risk patients.
    So could you discuss how the FCC and Congress should 
further support connectivity in Indian Country during this 
crisis?
    Mr. Berry. Thank you, Senator and also thank you for your 
leadership on this issue. You've been a stalwart of support for 
everyone, especially the Navajo Nation. As I mentioned earlier, 
we do have several companies that service Navajo territories 
and cooperate and are in business with the Navajo Nation 
itself.
    And it's extraordinary with the increase of the access to 
spectrum in through the SDAs that the FCC provided. Our 
carriers are--I mean, 54 sites in 1 week were able to be turned 
up and provide quality broadband capability, and they're 
working more efficiently and trying to find other ways to 
enhance this SDA concept.
    I think we need to look at disaggregation and partitionment 
of the spectrum that's currently out there in the rural areas 
that may not be fully utilized by a carrier that may actually 
own it, or it could be leased. Some of the rules that the FCC, 
especially on partitionment and disaggregation are complicated. 
And a carrier that may wish to lease or provide spectrum to 
another provider may not be able to do so without extraordinary 
exceptions at the FCC.
    So all those things I think we need to explore and I like 
the idea of having special attention given to Native Americans, 
not only at the FCC, but in the legislative packages that are 
going around. That's one of the reasons why we do support the 
Stay Connected voucher because it will go directly to the 
consumer.
    There may be service out there that they can't afford and 
hopefully they can do that. But you know, your issue it goes 
deeper than just broadband connectivity, as you know, many of 
those in the Navajo Nation that got that access to broadband, 
their homes don't even have running water. So when they say 
wash your hands, wash your hands, you just kind of--your heart 
just has to fill for those individuals that are lacking more 
than broadband. So thank you for the question.
    Mr. Spalter. Can I just to very briefly extend that answer 
Senator Sinema. It's Jonathan Spalter. You know, again, thank 
you for your leadership.
    One part of the solution set though, is just as the FCC and 
other Federal agencies and this Congress is trying to move 
forward to streamline and speed up deployment and removing 
obstacles to doing so. That state, local, and tribal leaders 
and governments should be encouraged to do the same. Speeding 
up permitting, deployment barriers, speeding up every possible 
effort, change of control requirements, that do get in the way 
of carriers that want to actually deliver broadband as quickly 
as they're able.
    We're seeing that right now with the Navajo Nation, having 
streamlined a set of permitting--railroad crossing, and other 
rights of way issues and as a result, one provider, Frontier is 
moving rapidly to deploy additional broadband to that 
community.
    Senator Sinema. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Sinema.
    And I just want to thank the witnesses. Mr. Berry, your 
comment on that final point, although it's not really 
broadband, I couldn't agree more with my state has over 30 
communities where people, American citizens, some of the most 
patriotic Americans in the country because Alaska Natives like 
lower 48 Indians serve at higher levels in the U.S. military 
than any other ethnic group in the country. Very patriotic.
    But over 30 communities in my state don't have running 
water. It's hard to tell people to wash your hands frequently 
when they don't have running water in their communities. So I 
hope we can get through that. And again, that should be tribal, 
Alaska Native shareholders, and tribes or both, become an 
issue, which I think is ridiculous has become an issue. Again, 
I hope some of my Democratic colleagues will cease and desist 
in that regard.
    But it's all help that's going to be needed. I want to 
thank again, the witnesses. I think two important conclusions 
here. This pandemic has heightened the need even more for the 
need for broadband, but I think especially in rural areas, 
extreme rural areas, tribal areas, Native communities, and I 
also believe that you see from this very interested group of 
senators, so much participation, that there is broad bipartisan 
support to get this done. So I think that's positive.
    I want to thank all four of you for your fine testimony and 
good answers to the questions. The hearing record will remain 
open for two weeks. During this time Senators are asked to 
submit any questions for the record. Upon receipt, the 
witnesses are requested to submit their written answers 
respectfully to the Committee as soon as they can, but by no 
later than Wednesday, June 8, 2020.
    Again, I want to thank the witnesses for appearing today. 
This hearing is now adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 12:30 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

                            A P P E N D I X

                                                     April 29, 2020
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House,
United States House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.

Hon. Mitch McConnell,
Majority Leader,
United States Senate,
Washington, DC.

Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
Minority Leader,
United States House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.

Hon. Chuck Schumer,
Minority Leader,
United States Senate,
Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader 
            McCarthy, and Minority Leader Schumer,

    We, the undersigned, urge you to support access to affordable 
broadband Internet in forthcoming COVID-19 stimulus package(s). Tens of 
millions of Americans don't have broadband Internet at home. Low-income 
families, rural residents, and people of color are particularly 
affected, leaving our most vulnerable communities struggling to stay 
connected with school, work, healthcare, entertainment, and their loved 
ones during the COVID-19 crisis.
    To make matters worse, more than 26 million Americans and counting 
have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and millions more have likely 
had their hours and pay reduced. These individuals may struggle to pay 
their broadband bills--if broadband is available to them at all.
    During a time when communication tools have never been more 
critical, and unemployment has never been so high, Congress must enact 
policies to ensure that everyone has broadband internet. Broadband is 
crucial for keeping residents home, safe, and as connected with 
everyday life as possible during these trying times. Broadband enables 
people to work remotely, access medical care, and apply for government 
benefits. As all levels of education and training transition online for 
the foreseeable future, reliable Internet access is essential for 
students to be successful. Perhaps most importantly, broadband allows 
residents who are isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic to stay 
informed, entertained, and connected with loved ones while protecting 
public health.
    Like food, water, and electricity, everyone needs broadband 
Internet service during this unprecedented crisis. That is why Congress 
must include policies that support broadband availability, including 
increased funding for adoption, network sustainability, and deployment 
for areas still lacking access, in upcoming stimulus packages.
            Sincerely,
Industry
A Better Wireless, NISP, LLC
American Sustainable Business Council
Channelford Associates Inc
CommScope, Inc.
Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC)
Digital West
E-rate Central
EDGE Consulting Partners
ELAE Enterprises, LLC
Engine
Epic Communications, Inc.
Espy Services Inc.
Fiber Broadband Association
Fully Equipped 4 Life Training Solutions
GWI, Inc
I-Light Indiana's Higher Education Optical Network
INCOMPAS
IT Remarketing, Inc. (DBA TechnoCycle)
Kajeet, Inc.
Lit Communities, LLC
Mighty River, LLC
Mobile Beacon Mozilla Corporation
National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and 
Entrepreneurship (ACE)
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
North Carolina Telehealth Network Association
NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association
On-Tech Consulting, Inc.
Open Hub
Pacific Northwest Gigapop
Revolution D, Inc.
Rural Wireless Association, Inc.
Silicon Harlem
Smart City Media LLC
Sonic Telecom
Starry, Inc.
Stem Nastics LLC
Stemnastics LLC
Synogy Group
Tribal Digital Village Network
Twitter, Inc.
Utah Education and Telehealth Network
Velocity Fiber
Vimeo, Inc.
Waste Management Innovations, Inc.
Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce
Local Government and Government Associations
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
League of Oregon Cities
National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors
National League of Cities
State of New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority SFA
Washoe County, NV
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Nonprofits and Other Associations
Access Humboldt
Access Now
Adoptions Together
Adult Learning Center
Advance CTE
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
Alabama Supercomputer Authority
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFLCIO
Ashbury Senior Computer Community Center
Asian Americans Advancing Justice / AAJC
Association for Career and Technical Education
Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents
Austin Free-Net
Austin Pathways at the Housing Authority of the City of Austin
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Brookline Interactive
California IT in Education (CITE)
Cambridge Public Access Corporation dba Cambridge Community Television
Center for Democracy & Technology
Center for Innovative Technology
Center for Rural Strategies
Central City Concern
Change Inc.
Citizens Action Coalition of IN
Common Cause
Common Sense Media
Communications Workers of America
Community Justice Project
Connect Your Community
Connected Insights
Connecting For Good
Consumer Reports
CoSN--Consortium for School Networking
Demand Progress
Digital Harbor Foundation
Digital Inclusion Practitioners of NJ
Disability Rights Pennsylvania
E2D, Inc.
Educators for Excellence
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Energy Outreach Colorado
EraseTheRedline Inc
EveryLibrary Institute
EveryoneOn
Fight for the Future
Filipina Women's Network
Free Geek
Free Press Action
Future of Music Coalition
Generations on Line
George Wiley Center
Goodwill Industries International, Inc.
Grahamtastic Connection
HBCU Innovation Center
Health Information Exchange of Montana
Health, Education and Legal Assistance Project: A Medical-Legal 
Partnership
Higher Learning Advocates
Home Forward
HOPE Village Revitalization
Hopes Cap Inc,
Human-I-T
IBSA, Inc.
Independent Sector
Information Technology Exchange
InnovateEDU
Institute for Higher Education Policy
Institute for Intellectual Property & Social Justice
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
International Society for Technology in Education
Internet Society
Island Institute
Japanese American Citizens League
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Latino Network
Low Income Utility Advocacy Project
Marconi Society
Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools
Media Alliance
MediaJustice
Merit Network, Inc.
Mobile Citizen
mohuman
Montana Organizing Project
MORE
Mountain Connect
Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC)
MuralNet
NAACP
National Center for Learning Disabilities
National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-income clients
National Cristina Foundation
National Digital Inclusion Alliance
National Hispanic Media Coalition
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
National Skills Coalition
National Summer Learning Association
National Urban League
Native Public Media, Inc.
New America Education Policy Program
New America's Open Technology Institute
New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education (NHSTE)
Nostos Charity
NTEN
OCA--Asian Pacific American Advocates
Open Signal: Portland Community Media
Oregon Citizens' Utility Board
Palmetto Care Connections
Partners Bridging the Digital Divide
PCs for People Baltimore
Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Resource Development
Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, on behalf of our low income clients
PhillyCAM
Project Appleseed Pu
blic Knowledge
R Street Institute
Right Here, Right Now Project
ROANEnet
Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition
Schuylkill Women in Crisis
South Carolina Office of Rural Health
St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium
State Educational Technology Directors Association
Success Against All Odds
Tech Goes Home
Tech:NYC
Technology For All
Temple University--WELL Program
The Education Trust
The Hunt Institute
The Mann Center for the Performing Arts
United Church of Christ, OC Inc.
United Communities Southeast Philadelphia
United Neighborhood Centers
Utah Center for Civic Improvement
VALUEUSA
Vermont Mutual Aid Society
Vietnamese Social Services
Virginia Citizens Consumer Council
Virginia Society for Technology in Education
Voqal
Women's Resource Center
World Education, Inc.
Writers Guild of America West
X-Lab
Schools and Libraries
Boulder Valley School District
California Center for Rural Policy
Cheektowaga Public Library
Dunkirk Public Library
Free Library of Philadelphia
Gigabit Libraries Network
LEARN: Lonestar Education and Research Network
Multnomah Education Service District
NASPA--Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
Niagara Falls Public Library
Northeast Kansas Library System
Portland Community College
Providence Public Library
PSTV--Education Channel of the School District of Philadelphia
Sonoma County Library
St. Bonaventure University
State Higher Education Executive Officers Association
Western New York Library Resources Council
Ysleta Independent School District
                                 ______
                                 

                    Post Tech Policy in the Pandemic

            Measuring Broadband Traffic in a Time of Crisis

                      By Sara Collins, Harold Feld

March 30, 2020 Broadband Access, Communications & Pandemic Series, 
Congress, Connectivity, FCC, FCC Data, Interconnection, Last Mile, 
Network Congestion, Network Speeds, WiFi, Wifi Access

This blog post is part of a series on communications policies Public 
Knowledge recommends in response to the pandemic. You can read more of 
our proposals here and view the full series here.

    As social distancing becomes the new normal across the globe, 
demands on broadband networks have grown larger, and those demands have 
begun to strain the system. Over the past week Netflix, Facebook, and 
YouTube have reduced streaming quality to help with the load, but our 
Internet is still slowing down. However, not all users will be affected 
in the same way. Some may experience a minor inconvenience, like having 
to turn off their video connection during a conference call. Others may 
find their connection degrades so that they can't participate in 
distance learning programs or receive care via telehealth.
    In order to know where these weak points are, the Federal 
Communications Commission (or Congress) must require all Internet 
service providers to report to the FCC traffic management information, 
with an emphasis on getting data around the three major chokepoints in 
wireline residential broadband access networks: the WiFi access points, 
the last mile, and the interconnection points between the broadband 
access provider and the Internet ``cloud.'' (Mobile wireless networks 
have different stress points, the tower, the backhaul, and the 
interconnection point. But because so many people are staying at home, 
let's focus on fixed broadband.) This reporting would create a ``heat 
map'' that shows the stress points of our national broadband 
infrastructure. It will tell us where users aren't receiving adequate 
Internet access, where reinforcements need to be made, as well as give 
us a roadmap to follow in planning for the next emergency.
    A WiFi access point is a networking hardware device that allows 
other WiFi devices to connect to a wired network. When you're on your 
laptop you can see not only your WiFi access point, but any other 
access points in range. However, there are only a limited number of 
frequencies that can transport WiFi signals. So while you cannot 
connect to those access points, they still create noise that congests 
those frequencies. If you're living in an apartment building, 
townhouse, or other stacked development, this congestion is compounded 
and ends up slowing down your Internet speeds. If two parents are at 
home, both doing video conferencing from their laptops, while kids are 
home too, maybe watching streaming video, a remote class, or just 
chatting with their friends, there can be slowdowns that are not caused 
by the Internet connection itself, but WiFi problems. If you're paying 
for a gigabit connection, in a densely packed area, you could 
experience slowdowns of up to 30 percent. While that circumstance might 
be annoying, if you have a 20 or 10 Mbps connection, that 30 percent 
slowdown is catastrophic. (Users can help mitigate this, perhaps by 
repositioning their WiFi access points or by connecting as many devices 
as possible to ethernet.)
    The ``last mile'' describes the physical connection that an end 
user has with the internet. This connection determines the bandwidth, 
or speed, of a user's Internet connection. A DSL network was designed 
to operate in one direction--sending information toward the user. 
Download speeds tend to be much higher than upload speeds, which is 
great for streaming a movie, but not so great for broadcasting your 
Twitch channel, live video conferencing, or having a live telemedicine 
visit, which need much higher upload speeds. Mobile wireless networks, 
fixed wireless networks in rural areas, and satellite broadband 
services will also experience similar issues because they weren't 
designed for the heavy two-way traffic we are now seeing on the 
network.
    Interconnection points are similar to the last mile, except they 
describe the connection an entire neighborhood has with the internet. 
When these interconnection points experience a normal ebb and flow of 
activity, broadband providers can slowly build out greater capacity. In 
this case the interconnection point is experiencing not an ebb and 
flow, but a tidal wave, and broadband providers can't respond quickly 
enough to increase capacity. This tidal wave clogs the interconnection 
point, which means nothing can get through. If your community is served 
by a smaller ISP, this is also the point where their network is 
connected to the larger incumbents, and where agreements to exchange 
traffic between competing companies can be the difference between good 
and bad quality connections for an entire community.
    There are likely to be congestion points still further upstream. 
Cloud service providers like Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure, and their 
connections to the Internet at large, may become congested. There may 
be issues with Internet backbone providers as well. All these 
considerations are why reporting more data is so essential right now.
    What we're currently experiencing is unprecedented, and our 
networks have never been tested like this before. It's to be expected 
that there would be chokepoints and failures in the system. This is why 
we must take the opportunity to collect data, learn where the weak 
points are, and fix them before there is another crisis.

                                  Sara Collins, Harold Feld
About Sara Collins
    Sara Collins joins Public Knowledge as a Policy Counsel focusing on 
all things privacy. Previously, Sara was a Policy Counsel on Future of 
Privacy Forum's Education & Youth Privacy team and specialized in 
higher education. She has also worked as an investigations attorney in 
the Enforcement Unit at Federal Student Aid, as well as the Director of 
Legal Services for Veterans Education Success. Sara graduated from the 
Georgetown University Law Center in 2014, where she was the symposium 
editor of the Journal of Gender and the Law. After graduating law 
school, she completed a Policy & Law Fellowship at the Amara Legal 
Center, an organization dedicated to fighting domestic sex trafficking 
within the DMV area. Originally from Chicago, Sara attended the 
University of Illinois, where she received a B.A. in both Political 
Science and English.
                                 ______
                                 

              Post Rural Broadband Access Tech Transitions

  What America Can Do to Strengthen Its Communications Infrastructure

                            By Lindsay Stern

                             March 13, 2020

    Every American should expect their communications systems to work 
regularly and reliably, especially during a public emergency. As we 
transition to new, more sophisticated and technologically-advanced 
networks that support an array of new services, users should expect 
those networks to work as reliably as the networks they replace. Those 
networks must also not disrupt services used by customers served by 
existing networks. So we should all be concerned about ensuring that 
the new networks have a built-in capacity to provide reliable service.
    Moreover, while we need to encourage the transition to these new 
networks, even with the continually declining state of our Nation's 
existing communications infrastructure, it must still provide service. 
As telephone service providers allow their embedded networks to rust 
and degrade with very little accountability and oversight, millions of 
Americans lack basic, reliable voice telephone service, including 
during and in the aftermath of a natural disaster--problems that are 
persisting into the new services, such as VoIP (``Voice over Internet 
Protocol,'' a form of telephone service provided over broadband 
connections) and the wireless telephone networks upon which so many 
Americans are dependent.
    Network reliability and network resiliency are distinct concepts 
that are inextricably linked. ``Network reliability'' means that you 
can rely on the fact that you will have phone service to make and 
receive phone calls and text messages. As an example, a network can 
become unreliable from a lack of network maintenance that leads to 
total degradation, or a lack of preparation to handle technological 
failure. In California, residents experienced cell phone outages due to 
both a lack of maintenance and preparation.
    ``Network resiliency'' means that after a network outage, the 
network revives quickly to allow consumers, including emergency 
responders, to make phone calls and send text messages. Network 
resiliency is especially important today as natural disasters are on 
the rise and extended outages can leave people in total isolation. 
Network resiliency is crucial so that people can call their loved ones, 
911, and other emergency responders without those calls failing. 
Similarly, it allows for emergency responders to contact one another 
and blast public safety announcements to their communities.
    America is currently facing a serious crisis in network reliability 
and resiliency. Communities around the country are experiencing 
systemic failures of critical communications infrastructure. Telephone 
service providers are private companies, and without regulation, they 
will likely choose to cut costs and increase profits rather than invest 
in strengthening their networks for emergency preparedness or to 
prevent network outages. Congress created the Federal Communications 
Commission for the purpose of having a centralized agency to regulate 
the Nation's communications networks--and the FCC can do more to help 
prevent these systematic failures. If the phone providers allow their 
networks to degrade, these companies will suffer no consequences unless 
Federal or state regulators take enforcement action. Unfortunately, the 
past decade has seen a radical deregulation of the communications 
industry. All states have deregulated the industry to some degree, and 
37 states have eliminated direct regulatory oversight. At the Federal 
level, in 2015, the FCC adopted the Tech Transitions Order, which 
encouraged a national upgrade from copper to fiber communications while 
also codifying various consumer protections during this transition. 
Public Knowledge supported this Order. But in 2017, FCC Chairman Ajit 
Pai eliminated these consumer protections. Public Knowledge sued the 
FCC to challenge the elimination of consumer protections, but the case 
was dismissed on technical legal grounds.
    A major reason why network resiliency is so important is because 
many people think that if there is a power outage, they will still be 
able to dial 911, for example, on their VoIP phone or mobile phone--but 
that is not necessarily true. Telephones connected to traditional 
``telephone company'' landline copper networks are powered from the 
telephone company's office and have back-up power systems so if the 
power goes out, your phone still works. But today, many more services 
have broadband based technology (e.g., VoIP Services), which do not 
power the telephone. And remember, while we have a national Tech 
Transitions policy that is encouraging every network to switch from 
copper-based to broadband-based technology that will allow new 
services, those new networks do not provide all the types of support 
provided by the embedded copper network. In 2015, the FCC did adopt an 
Order that will require companies who provide telephone company-like 
services to make available, at an extra cost to the consumer, equipment 
that the consumer can use to make 8 hours of backup power available. 
For the moment, these providers only need to offer this option at the 
point of sale. Customers can purchase a self-powered battery for their 
home network, but they are expensive and only last a few hours, so many 
do not. Instead, the FCC should require VoIP providers to offer 
customers the capability for 24-hour backup power at no charge.
    There's also a serious problem with cell phones. If you are relying 
solely on your cell phone during a power outage, you will eventually 
lose battery and not be able to recharge your phone. But even if your 
cell phone is fully charged, if there is no power at a cell tower, the 
signal will hit the tower and go nowhere.
    In today's deregulated communications industry, companies are not 
being held accountable for their degrading, unreliable networks, nor 
are they being required to provide basic assurances of network 
reliability--like ensuring that when you call 911 from your mobile 
device, the call goes to a cell tower that has power. Congress, the 
FCC, and states should do more to solve this problem. Here are some 
ideas of what can be done at the state and Federal level:
    Policymakers can impose liability on companies through fines for 
inexcusable outages.
    Cell towers should be required to have backup generators so that 
there is backup power at every cell tower. Merely encouraging backup 
network generators is not enough, if there is little-to-no incentive 
for companies to spend money on emergency preparedness. Congress and 
the FCC should mandate cell tower generators to ensure that everyone 
has phone service during a power outage.
    The FCC has been preempting local and state authority over 
broadband-based services like VoIP. Instead, it should allow localities 
to craft rules that are sensible for their locality and geographic 
landscape.
    Private market incentives to invest in emergency preparedness have 
not worked. The FCC should set a mandatory framework that includes the 
following:

        Require wireless providers to abide by the Wireless Resiliency 
        Cooperative Framework, which is currently a voluntary industry 
        commitment to promote resilient wireless communications during 
        disasters. This includes having providers utilize the Disaster 
        Information Reporting System.

        Require wireless providers to participate in Wireless Emergency 
        Alerts. They currently choose whether to participate, but it 
        should not be voluntary.

        Consumers should have access to information regarding which 
        companies invest in their networks reliability and resiliency. 
        This information can better inform consumer decisions and 
        increase competition among providers.

        Policymakers should include electric utility companies in the 
        regulations, given the role that a lack of power plays in 
        communications access.

        Congress should continue to hold hearings and hold FCC 
        Commissioners accountable, including ensuring that they have 
        field hearings on this issue.

        Congress should pass the RESILIENT Act. Among other things, it 
        requires pre-planned coordination agreements so that providers 
        have agreements to help serve each other's customers during and 
        after an emergency when their networks are not operating.

    The FCC and Congress must take network reliability and resiliency 
seriously or we will continue to experience these issues. Too many 
consumers are being left behind, and the problems caused by network 
failures are not only an inconvenience--they are often a matter of life 
or death.

                                              Lindsay Stern
About Lindsay Stern
    Lindsay Stern is a Policy Fellow at Public Knowledge. Prior to 
joining PK, Lindsay was a legal intern at the U.S. Senate Judiciary 
Committee in the office of Senator Dick Durbin, as well as at the Mid-
Atlantic Innocence Project, and Street Law, Inc. Lindsay received her 
J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where she was a 
member of the Federal Circuit Bar Journal, and received her B.A. in 
Government at Franklin & Marshall College. She also spent a semester 
studying at the University of Edinburgh. Lindsay was born and raised in 
New York. She is a yoga and frozen yogurt enthusiast.
                                 ______
                                 
                               Before the
                   FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                         Washington, D.C. 20554


In the Matter of                       )
                                       )
Inquiry Concerning Deployment          )    GN Docket No. 19-285
 of
Advanced Telecommunications            )
Capability to All Americans            )
 in a
Reasonable and Timely Fashion          )
 

  REPLY COMMENTS OF PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, COMMON CAUSE, AND NEXT CENTURY 
                                 CITIES

Lindsay Stern                        Yosef Getachew
Public Knowledge                     Common Cause
1818 N St NW, Suite 410              805 15th Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20036               Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 861-0020                       (202) 833-1200
 
Francella Ochillo
Executive Director
Next Century Cities
1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20036
 

December 9, 2019
                                 ______
                                 
I. INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY
    Public Knowledge, Common Cause, and Next Century Cities submit 
these Reply Comments in response to the Federal Communications 
Commission's (``FCC'' or ``Commission'') Notice of Inquiry (``NOI'') 
seeking comment on whether advanced telecommunications capability is 
being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.\1\ 
The record in this proceeding supports the fact that broadband is not 
being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ See Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and 
Timely Fashion, GN Docket No. 19-285, Fifteenth Broadband Deployment 
Report Notice of Inquiry, FCC 19-102 (rel. Oct. 23, 2019) (``NOI'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. THE COMMISSION SHOULD INCREASE THE CURRENT BENCHMARK SPEED FOR 
        BROADBAND TO 100 MBPS DOWNSTREAM
    The record demonstrates that the current benchmark speed of 25 
Mbps/3 Mpbs is no longer adequate to meet the broadband needs of 
households today, and that technological innovation and consumer demand 
for faster broadband warrant the FCC to update its benchmark speed to 
100 Mbps downstream.\2\ USTelecom argued that even though emerging 
technologies may eventually require more bandwidth, ``there is no 
reason to move away from the 25/3 Mbps as the target benchmark today.'' 
\3\ On the contrary, there are plenty of reasons to increase the 
benchmark speed. As Open Technology Institute (``OTI'') explained, the 
Commission should increase the current broadband benchmark because 
``[t]he trends in the United States show that the average speeds are 
increasing every year, and have long surpassed the 25 Mbps/3 Mbps 
scale,'' \4\ and increasing the current benchmark will ``reflect the 
current realities of the marketplace and consumer demand.'' \5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ See Comments of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, 
Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity 
to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, Docket 19-285 
(Nov. 22, 2019) (``Benton Institute Comments''), at 11; see also 
Comments of the Fiber Broadband Association, In the Matter of Inquiry 
Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity to All 
Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 
22, 2019) (``Fiber Broadband Association Comments''), at 4; Comments of 
INCOMPAS, In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely 
Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) (``INCOMPAS Comments''), at 
6; Comments of Next Century Cities, In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning 
Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in 
a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) 
(``Next Century Cities Comments''), at 4; Comments of the New America's 
Open Technology Institute In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning 
Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in 
a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 21, 2019) 
(``OTI Comments''), at 3-4.
    \3\ Comments of USTelecom--The Broadband Association, In the Matter 
of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications 
Capacity to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 
19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) (``USTelecom Comments''), at 10.
    \4\ OTI Comments, at 3.
    \5\ Id. at 14.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Industry commenters provided evidence of offering broadband speeds 
significantly faster than 25/3 Mbps despite calling on the Commission 
to maintain the current benchmark. WISPA argued in favor of maintaining 
the current standard, ``[g]iven the fact that the speed required for 
the applications that most broadband consumers use has not changed 
substantially since then, and actual subscriptions have not yet 
consistently surpassed the benchmark level[.]'' \6\ Yet, USTelecom 
explained that broadband at higher speeds is currently widely 
available, citing that as of mid-2018 wired broadband service at 100/10 
Mbps was available to 89 percent of Americans.\7\ Similarly, Internet 
Innovation Alliance commented that the Commission should keep the 
current benchmark speed, but it then explained how ``broadband 
providers are constantly increasing speeds in response to competitive 
pressures,'' and that it expects this trend to continue and accelerate 
as the Nation moves towards 5G wireless broadband.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ Comments of The Wireless Internet Service Providers 
Association, In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely 
Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) (``WISPA Comments''), at 5.
    \7\ USTelecom Comments, at 4.
    \8\ Comments of Internet Innovation Alliance, In the Matter of 
Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity 
to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 
(Nov. 22, 2019), at 6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Arguing that the Commission should maintain an outdated benchmark 
speed while also arguing that most broadband providers are providing 
higher speeds is nonsensical. The Federal standard is designed to 
reflect the widespread utility and set guardrails to ensure that every 
household is positioned to take advantage of advances in technology.\9\ 
The Commission should use a contemporary and forward-looking approach 
that accurately reflects the broadband marketplace instead of one that 
is outdated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\ See generally Jameson Zimmer, FCC Broadband Definition Has 
Changed Before and Will Change Again: Analysis of the FCC's Broadband 
Internet Benchmark of 25/3Mbps, and why it changes over time. (Feb. 10, 
2018), https://broadbandnow.com/report/fcc-broadband-definition/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As reliance on broadband services continues to increase, the 
Commission cannot continue to evaluate broadband nationwide with a 
benchmark speed that has not been updated in five years and runs the 
risk of becoming outdated.\10\ CTIA explained that consumers enjoy 90 
percent faster download speeds than they did five years ago.\11\ 
Similarly, ACA Connects commented how its members ``often deliver 
service that vastly exceeds 25/3.'' \12\ Yet commonplace applications 
are quickly outpacing the Commission's standard for broadband. As 
Benton Institute rightly stated, the Commission should ``set a new 
benchmark that better represents marketplace realities,'' and the 
reality is that broadband connections in the United States ``regularly 
deliver 100 Mbps downloads and are increasingly capable of reaching 1 
Gbps symmetrical speeds.'' \13\ If it maintains the current benchmark 
speed, the Commission bears the risk of adopting policies that do not 
reflect today's marketplace realities..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\ Next Century Cities Comments, at 4.
    \11\ Comments of CTIA, In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning 
Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in 
a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) 
(``CTIA Comments''), at 13.
    \12\ Comments of ACA Connects, In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning 
Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in 
a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) 
(``ACA Connects Comments''), at 2.
    \13\ Benton Institute Comments, at 10.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Claims by the wireless industry and assumptions by the Commission 
that 5G widespread deployments are imminent in 2020 make clear that a 
25/3 Mbps standard will not suffice. To keep up with the realities of 
the marketplace, the Commission must upgrade its definition of 
broadband. For example, INCOMPAS explained that 1 Gbps is no longer 
``aspirational'' as a benchmark, but rather it represents the reality 
of speeds being deployed today across the U.S. INCOMPAS noted, 
``[e]ntry-level service options by major BIAS providers are typically 
at least 50 Mbps (and usually 100 Mbps) up to 2 Gbps.'' \14\ The Fiber 
Broadband Association also called for the Commission to increase the 
benchmark speed to at least 100/10 Mbps in order ``to reflect current 
and near term use.'' \15\ The realities of the marketplace demand the 
Commission increase its minimum speed definition of broadband.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \14\ INCOMPAS Comments, at 6.
    \15\ Fiber Broadband Association Comments, at 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. THE COMMISSION'S CURRENT METHODOLOGY IS FLAWED AND OVERSTATES 
        DEPLOYMENT
    The Commission should not continue to rely only on Form 477 data 
when evaluating the status of the Nation's broadband. Form 477 data is 
too incomplete and inaccurate for the Commission to do so. In fact, 
last week, Commission staff discovered that ``the Mobility Fund-II 
coverage maps submitted by Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and T-Mobile likely 
overstated each provider's actual coverage and did not reflect on-the-
ground performance in many instances. Only 62.3 percent of staff drive 
tests achieved at least the minimum download speed predicted by the 
coverage maps--with U.S. Cellular achieving that speed in only 45.0 
percent of such tests, T-Mobile in 63.2 percent of tests, and Verizon 
in 64.3 percent of tests. Similarly, staff stationary tests showed that 
each provider achieved sufficient download speeds meeting the minimum 
cell edge probability in fewer than half of all test locations (20 of 
42 locations).'' \16\ As a result, the Commission's Rural Broadband 
Auctions Task Force recommended that the Commission ``analyze and 
verify the technical mapping data submitted in the most recent Form 477 
filings of Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and T-Mobile to determine whether 
they meet the Form 477 requirements.'' \17\ The Commission acknowledged 
that ``Form 477 currently affords providers significant discretion in 
determining the extent of their mobile broadband coverage.'' \18\ 
Although the Commission continued to explain that ``this discretion 
does not encompass reporting inaccurate mobile coverage,'' \19\ 
inaccurate reporting nevertheless occurs and will continue to occur if 
the Commission does not reform its current data collection process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \16\ Federal Communications Commission, Rural Broadband Auctions 
Task Force Releases Mobility Fund Phase II Coverage Maps Investigation 
Staff Report, GN Docket No. 19-367 (rel. Dec. 4, 2019), https://
www.fcc.gov/document/mf-ii-coverage-maps-investigation-staff-report, at 
2.
    \17\ Id.
    \18\ Id.
    \19\ Id. at 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This recent wireless example helps support Benton Institute's claim 
that ``Form 477 method is vulnerable to errors in the data carriers 
report.'' \20\ As another example provided by Benton Institute of 
inaccurate reporting, ``the Center for Rural Pennsylvania concluded 
that although the Commission's broadband maps `show 100 percent 
availability across the entire state of Pennsylvania of broadband 
speeds that exceed 25 Mbps,' the Center's data `showed that there were 
zero counties in Pennsylvania where at least 50 percent of the populace 
received' 25/3 Mbps service. In other words, no Pennsylvania county had 
the broadband coverage that the Commission said was enjoyed by every 
Pennsylvania county.'' \21\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \20\ Benton Institute Comments, at 3.
    \21\ Id. at 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As part of reforming its data collection process, the Commission 
should require providers to submit more granular data on Form 477 as 
well as enable a robust challenge process.\22\ The Commission is aware 
that its reliance on Form 477 data collection overstates the number of 
households with broadband coverage and even cited a recent report from 
George Ford estimating a 3 percent overstatement.\23\ Given that the 
Form 477 process will likely not be updated by the time next year's 706 
Report is underway, it would be misleading and harmful for the 
Commission to rely solely on Form 477 data to report on nationwide 
coverage. As OTI explained, ``continuing to issue reports based on 
flawed data would skew the Commission's findings under Section 706 and 
perpetuate a consistently inaccurate view of the digital divide.'' \24\ 
This result would run contrary to the Commission's goal of closing the 
digital divide by understating the scope of the divide, likely leading 
to insufficient and ineffective policies to solve the problem.\25\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \22\ Comments of Public Knowledge, Common Cause, and Next Century 
Cities, In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely 
Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019), at 12-14.
    \23\ See NOI, at  17.
    \24\ OTI Comments, at 11.
    \25\ See NOI, at  25 (``The next Report will examine our actions 
to spur broadband deployment and close the digital divide since issuing 
the 2019 Report. We seek comment on the ongoing effects of these 
efforts in spurring broadband deployment, as well as any additional 
efforts we might undertake.'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    To the contrary, NCTA argued that the Commission should continue to 
rely on Form 477 data even if there will be overreporting, and that 
``there is no evidence to suggest that the degree to which coverage has 
been overstated has changed in any meaningful way over time.'' \26\ 
However, the Commission should not justify using an inaccurate process 
just because that process has been inaccurate for a long time. On the 
contrary, this is a compelling reason for the Commission to update its 
Form 477 process and why it cannot solely rely on this data for the 
upcoming report. There is also evidence that the Commission's maps have 
grown less accurate over time. According to a report published by the 
Center for Rural Pennsylvania, ``since 2014, the discrepancy between 
ISPs' self-reported broadband availability in the FCC's broadband maps 
and the speed test results collected via the M-Lab platform has grown 
substantially in rural areas, but not in urban areas; this may indicate 
a systematic and growing overstatement of broadband service 
availability in rural communities.'' \27\ The report explains how ``it 
appears that official broadband maps are becoming less accurate over 
time--particularly those for rural areas--and that the methodology used 
by the FCC not only overstates broadband speeds and availability, but 
are showing results that are less and less accurate year-after-year.'' 
\28\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \26\ Comments of NCTA--The Internet & Television Association, In 
the Matter of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely 
Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) (``NCTA Comments''), at 4-5.
    \27\ The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Broadband Availability and 
Access in Rural Pennsylvania (June 2019), at 8-9, https://
www.rural.palegislature.us/broadband/Broadband_Avail
ability_and_Access_in_Rural_Pennsylvania_2019_Report.pdf.
    \28\ Id. at 75.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    USTelecom supported the Commission's continued use of Form 477 as 
it ``agrees with the Commission that Form 477 deployment data for fixed 
technologies is currently the most reliable and comprehensive dataset 
with which to assess availability of fixed services,'' \29\ and ADTRAN 
argued a similar perspective.\30\ However, Form 477 is characterized as 
the most reliable and comprehensive dataset because it is the only 
current dataset that the Commission uses to analyze broadband 
deployment. Moreover, Colville Confederated Tribes (``CCT'') expressed 
that Form 477 is ``far from comprehensive.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \29\ USTelecom Comments, at 12.
    \30\ Comments of ADTRAN, Inc., In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning 
Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in 
a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) 
(``ADTRAN Comments''), at 9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Form 477 has the potential to be much stronger if the Commission 
required ISPs to submit more granular data, such as actual speeds 
provided and pricing information. CCT rightly stated that new granular 
data collection methods ``will bridge the gap between reporting and 
reality so that big carriers will not be able to over-report deployment 
in the future.'' \31\ Notably, every commenter in this proceeding that 
discussed Form 477, including the Commission itself, recognized that 
Form 477 data is flawed.\32\ As a result, the Commission must figure 
out other ways to supplant its analysis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \31\ CCT, at 6.
    \32\ See NOI, at  17; ACA Connects Comments, at 7; ADTRAN 
Comments, at 9; Benton Comments, at 3; CTIA Comments, at 17; CTT 
Comments, at 6; NCTA Comments, at 4; Next Century Cities Comments, at 
6; OTI Comments, at 11; USTelecom Comments, at 12-13; WISPA Comments, 
at 6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While the Commission did use OOKLA consumer speed test data, it 
should be weary that, according to CCT, this speed test ``does not 
measure true network performance and only shows you how fast you can 
move small files between sites. This is not what people do when they go 
onto the Internet.'' \33\ CTIA also supported the Commission using 
other resources to evaluate the state of broadband. As it explained, 
``the Commission should take a holistic view of deployment progress 
that looks beyond just speeds and coverage data to other data that 
reflect the consumer mobile experience today'' and to evolve its 
collection of data ``to more closely reflect consumers' experiences.'' 
\34\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \33\ Comments of Colville Confederated Tribes., In the Matter of 
Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity 
to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 
(Nov. 21, 2019) (``CCT Comments''), at 10.
    \34\ CTIA Comments, at 17.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICE IS NOT A SIMILAR FUNCTIONALITY OR 
        SUBSTITUTE TO FIXED BROADBAND
    The majority of commenters in this proceeding that commented on the 
substitutability of mobile and fixed broadband agreed that mobile 
broadband service should continue to be treated as a separate, 
complementary service to fixed broadband, rather than as a 
substitute.\35\ As WISPA put it, ``[t]hese two distinct types of 
service are not functional substitutes, but remain complementary 
services, each independently required by most users to meet 
significantly different elements of their daily communications and 
information needs.'' \36\ If mobile broadband was to be considered as a 
substitute for fixed broadband, it would not explain the fact that, as 
Next Century City highlighted, ``the vast majority of households that 
have mobile Internet access concurrently subscribe to a fixed access 
service provider.'' \37\ The two services play different roles, as 
evidenced by the fact that ``the vast majority of data usage travels 
over Wi-Fi or local fixed connections rather than on a mobile 
network.'' \38\ In addition, as NTCA explains, slowdowns or breaks in 
mobile network service can cause severe delays or reductions in 
quality, which is not just an inconvenience, ``but can mean a loss of 
revenue for a business or a loss of productivity for a student.'' \39\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \35\ See ADTRAN Comments at 6; Benton Institute Comments, at 9; CCT 
Comments at 3; INCOMPAS Comments, at 5; Next Century Cities Comments, 
at 9; Comments of NTCA--The Rural Broadband Association, In the Matter 
of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications 
Capacity to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 
19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019) (``NTCA Comments''), at 1-2; OTI Comments, at 1; 
WISPA Comments, at 2.
    \36\ WISPA Comments, at 2.
    \37\ Next Century Cities Comments, at 2.
    \38\ Id. at 3.
    \39\ NTCA Comments, at 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In its comments, Free State Foundation encouraged the Commission to 
conduct a more incisive analysis of fixed/mobile broadband substitution 
due to the claim that ``[t]echnological differences between mobile and 
fixed wireless, while significant, are less pronounced than in the past 
due to network convergence.'' \40\ The Commission should not overlook 
this concession that the differences between both services are 
``significant,'' and many commenters have pointed out just how 
significant the differences are in these two services. As INCOMPAS 
explained, fixed and mobile broadband are distinct networks due to the 
inherent limitations of mobile.\41\ For example, ``there is a distinct 
difference between the speeds and connectivity available to consumers 
of mobile service (with average speeds of 38.06 Mbps) and fixed (with 
average download 129.65 Mbps), and most Americans and businesses 
require access to a fixed broadband service because mobile is not a 
sufficient substitute.'' \42\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \40\ Comments of The Free State Foundation, In the Matter of 
Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capacity 
to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 
(Nov. 22, 2019) (``Free Station Foundation Comments''), at 8.
    \41\ INCOMPAS Comments, at 5.
    \42\ Id. at 8-9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While speeds are one consideration, Benton Institute pointed to 
other differences between mobile and fixed broadband, including 
latency, network architecture, usage limits, and pricing.\43\ ADTRAN 
echoed similar concerns by explaining that ``in light of capacity 
constraints, pricing policies and usage limitations, current mobile 
broadband services are not a perfect `functional substitute' for fixed, 
wireline broadband.'' \44\ CCT highlighted that the reality for many 
rural Americans, including tribal lands, is that many areas do not even 
have access to cellular coverage, and those that do experience 
significant differences in the costs and data caps of each service.\45\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \43\ Benton Institute Comments, at 9.
    \44\ ADTRAN Comments, at 6.
    \45\ CCT Comments, at 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In an effort to support its argument that mobile is a substitute 
for fixed broadband, CTIA noted the fact that ``roughly one-in-four 
lower-income adults are `smartphone only' Internet users,'' and that 
``the share of lower-income Americans who rely on their smartphone for 
going online has roughly doubled since 2013, rising from 12 percent to 
26 percent in 2019.'' \46\ Yet this statistic strengthens the argument 
that low-income Americans are not always choosing to be mobile-only 
because they see it as an equivalent to fixed, but rather the cost of 
subscribing to both services is often prohibitive.\47\ The record is 
clear. Mobile and fixed broadband continue to be complementary services 
and are not substitutes for each other.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \46\ CTIA Comments, at 20.
    \47\ John B. Horrigan and Maeve Duggan, Barriers to broadband 
adoption: Cost is now a substantial challenge for many non-users, PEW 
Research Center (Dec. 21, 2015), https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/
2015/12/21/3-barriers-to-broadband-adoption-cost-is-now-a-substantial-
challenge-for-many-non-users/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. THE COMMISSION SHOULD RETURN TO ITS PREVIOUS INTERPRETATION OF ITS 
        CONGRESSIONAL MANDATE TO REPORT ON THE STATUS OF BROADBAND 
        DEPLOYMENT
    The Commission's two prior Broadband Deployment Reports departed 
significantly from nearly a decade of precedent since the Broadband 
Data Improvement Act (``BDIA'') \48\ by concluding that broadband is 
being deployed to the U.S. in a timely and reasonable manner. CTIA 
argued that ``[w]ere it Congress's intent to seek Commission input on 
whether deployment to all Americans has been achieved, Congress easily 
could have easily done so.'' \49\ But Congress did do precisely that, 
and congressional reports show that it was Congress' intent to look at 
current broadband deployment rather than come to its conclusion based 
on the progress from the prior year.\50\ Calculating broadband progress 
from year-to-year makes sense and is a good idea, but the determination 
of whether progress has been made was never intended to be the 
conclusion or the finding of the 706 Report. If it was, it does not 
explain why for nearly a decade after BDIA was enacted the FCC looked 
at the number of Americans with access to broadband for its 706 Report 
before switching to the year-over-year improvement standard in 
2018.\51\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \48\ See Broadband Data Improvement Act, 47 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 1301-
1305 (2008) (``BDIA'').
    \49\ CTIA Comments, at 5.
    \50\ See See S. Rep. No. 110-204, at 1-5 (2007), as reprinted in 
2008 U.S.C.C.A.N. 1707, 1707-09 (``BDIA Senate Report''); 154 Cong. 
Rec. H10618-02 (2008) (the House passed S. 1492 as passed by the 
Senate. As a consequence, there is no House Report or Conference 
Report); See also Consumer Benefits of Broadband Service: Hearing 
Before the S. Comm. On Commerce, Science and Transportation, 110th 
Cong. (2008) (statement of Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman, Commerce, 
Science and Transportation Committee); 154 Cong. Rec. H10618-02 (2008).
    \51\ See Inquiry Concerning the Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and 
Timely Fashion, and Possible Steps to Accelerate Such Deployment 
Pursuant to Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as 
Amended by the Broadband Data Improvement Act, 2016 Broadband 
Deployment Report, GN Docket No. 15-191 (rel. Jan 29, 2016), at  119-
120 (finding that advanced telecommunications capability was not being 
deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion because ``although 
deployment has increased . . . we are not satisfied that approximately 
34 million Americans lack service, nearly the population of Canada.'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Millions of Americans without broadband access will continue to be 
left behind if the Commission claims that broadband is being served in 
a reasonably and timely fashion when reality shows otherwise. ADTRAN 
attempted to justify the Commission's progress-based approach by 
claiming that the report ``ought not simply be asking . . .``are we 
there yet?''--with ``there'' being the goal of 100 percent coverage. 
Rather, ADTRAN explained, the Commission should be assessing whether 
progress towards the goal of universal broadband availability is 
occurring at a constant, accelerating or slowing pace.'' \52\ But why 
isn't the Commission also asking ``are we there yet?'' ADTRAN is 
correct that ``there'' is the goal of 100 percent coverage, but it is 
incorrect in comparing this question to a child.\53\ That is exactly 
what the Commission should be aiming for and should be making a finding 
on an annual basis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \52\ ADTRAN Comments, at 4-5.
    \53\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    WISPA also urged the Commission to continue using a progress-based 
approach that measures the availability of advanced services in an 
incremental process ``rather than by setting artificial a priori goals 
that may be more aspirational than realistic.'' \54\ But the 
Commission's new progress-based approach is aspirational by painting a 
rosy picture that broadband is adequately being served nationwide 
rather than explaining the truth. In reality, millions of Americans are 
not connected to broadband. The Commission used to find this was cause 
for concern and a call to action, but now interprets this fact to mean 
that broadband is being deployed timely and reasonably. As Benton 
Institute stated, ``[c]oupled with the Commission's continued reliance 
on FCC Form 477, the Commission's `progress-based approach' 
misrepresents the true reach of broadband in the U.S.'' \55\ CCT 
justifiably expressed concern that the progress-based approach and how 
this methodology ``harms tribal lands in remote locations with 
overreporting . . . it clearly does not work.'' \56\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \54\ WISPA Comments, at 6.
    \55\ Benton Institute Comments, at 2.
    \56\ CCT Comments, at 1-2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VI. THE COMMISSION SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCLUDE BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT 
        MEASUREMENTS FOR PUERTO RICO AND OTHER U.S. TERRITORIES IN ITS 
        ANNUAL BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT PROGRESS REPORT AND EVALUATE 
        DISASTER RECOVERY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE DISASTER STRICKEN 
        AREAS ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND
    Reporting separately on U.S. Territories runs directly contrary to 
the Commission's congressional mandate to report on all of the United 
States (including its territories)\57\ as well as the agency's 
obligation to promote universal service.\58\ Furthermore, residents of 
U.S. Territories are U.S. citizens, and the FCC has an obligation to 
report on broadband deployment in those areas. Excluding the residents 
of U.S. Territories from the Report is misleading as it dramatically
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \57\ See 47 U.S.C. Sec. 1302 (``The Commission. . .shall encourage 
the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced 
telecommunications capability to all Americans . . .) (emphasis added); 
see also NOI, at 2 (``The Commission's top goal is closing the digital 
divide and bringing the economic, educational, healthcare, social, and 
civic benefits of connectivity to all Americans seeking broadband 
access.'') (emphasis added).
    \58\ 47 U.S.C. Sec. 151 (``For the purpose of regulating interstate 
and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio so as to make 
available, so far as possible, to all the people of of the United 
States, without discrimination . . . there is created a commission to 
be known as the `Federal Communications Commission' ''); see also FCC's 
Website, Universal Service (``Universal service is a cornerstone of the 
law that established the FCC''), https://www.fcc.gov/general/universal-
service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    understates the number of Americans without access to broadband. 
The record in this proceeding is silent and includes no evidence why 
U.S. Territories should not be included in the Commission's Report. In 
fact, CCT is the only other commenter that discussed this issue and it 
agrees that the Commission ``should include data from every state and 
territory.'' \59\ CCT goes on to explain that ``[b]y not including such 
data the FCC decisions are not transparent and based upon accurate data 
in order to make it appear as if over all deployment is consistently 
moving forward. Disasters happen, and the re-deployment of those 
networks is just as important as new deployments to un-served areas.'' 
\60\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \59\ CCT Comments, at 13.
    \60\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VII. THE COMMISSION'S RECENT ACTIONS HAVE WIDENED THE DIGITAL DIVIDE 
        INSTEAD OF NARROWING IT
    We support and appreciate recent actions that the Commission has 
taken with regard to spectrum,\61\ but the Commission still has a long 
way to go to close the digital divide. Many of the Commission's recent 
actions have been ineffectual or even counterproductive and widened the 
gap, particularly for rural, low-income, and other marginalized 
communities. As ITTA explained, even using the Commission's overstated 
measure of broadband deployment, over 21 million Americans still lack 
broadband access, and so the Commission must ``continue to arduously 
pursue actions to foster broadband deployment.'' \62\ The United States 
also continues to fall significantly behind other countries in 
broadband penetration rates. For example, China has an 86 percent 
penetration rate for fiber Internet connections compared to only 25 
percent for the U.S.\63\ Before shifting its focus to ``winning the 
race to 5G,'' the Commission must focus on closing the digital divide 
and ensure that all Americans have access to broadband. This is 
especially true because 5G wireless networks are unlikely to be 
deployed anytime soon in currently unserved or underserved areas.\64\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \61\ See Auction 105: 3.5 GHz, Federal Communications Commission, 
https://www.fcc.gov/auction/105; see also Margaret Harding McGill, Pai: 
FCC will auction coveted 5G spectrum, Axios (Sept. 18, 2019), https://
www.axios.com/fcc-will-auction-5g-spectrum-d205fcf0-f9e5-4687-8d5f-
d0f2e676f9a1.html.
    \62\ Comments of ITTA--The Voice of America's Broadband Providers, 
In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced 
Telecommunications Capacity to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely 
Fashion, GN Docket 19-285 (Nov. 22, 2019), at 12.
    \63\ See Tyler Cooper, China's Fiber Broadband Internet Approaches 
Nationwide Coverage; United States Lags Severely Behind, BroadbandNow 
(Dec. 3, 2019), https://broadbandnow.com/report/chinas-fiber-broadband-
approaches-nationwide-coverage/.
    \64\ Ali Breland, The Hill, Rural America worries it will miss out 
on 5G (Sept. 26, 30281), https://thehill.com/policy/technology/408416-
rural-america-worries-it-will-miss-out-on-5g.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    There is widespread agreement that rural, tribal lands are being 
left behind. According to CCT, [t]he only infrastructure that has been 
put into play over the last decade has been provided by CCT itself.'' 
\65\ This is unacceptable. Much more work needs to be done. As NCTA 
expressed, ``In determining how to fill the remaining gaps, we agree 
with Commissioner Starks that it is important to understand why some 
areas are still unserved and what role the Commission's policies have 
played to date.'' \66\ The Commission should take a second look at some 
of the policies it has enacted and plans to enact, including the 
elimination of copper retirement safeguards, the proposed universal 
service fund cap, and pending proposals to weaken the Lifeline 
program.\67\ If the Commission's number one priority is truly to close 
the digital divide,\68\ then its policies must comprehensively reflect 
this goal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \65\ CCT Comments, at 6.
    \66\ NCTA Comments, at 7.
    \67\ See In the Matter of Bridging the Digital Divide for Low-
Income Consumers, Fifth Report and Order, Memorandum Opinion and Order 
and Order on Reconsideration, and Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 17-287 (rel. Nov. 14, 2019), see also In the 
Matter of Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization, Order, WC 
Docket No. 11-42 (rel. Nov. 19, 2019).
    \68\ See FCC's Website, Bridging The Digital Divide For All 
Americans (quoting Chairman Pai: ``Since my first day as Chairman of 
the FCC, my number one priority has been closing the digital divide and 
bringing the benefits of the Internet age to all Americans.''), https:/
/www.fcc.gov/about-fcc/fcc-initiatives/bridging-digital-divide-all-
americans.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII. CONCLUSION
    For the reasons described above, the record supports the notion 
that the Commission should increase the benchmark broadband speed to 
100 Mbps downstream; rely not only on Form 477 data when evaluating the 
status of the Nation's broadband; continue to find mobile and fixed 
broadband as distinct services; return to its previous interpretation 
of how to report on the status of broadband deployment, rather than a 
progress-based approach; include U.S. Territories in its annual report; 
and ensure that its actions help close the digital divide.
                                 ______
                                 

         Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 2020s

    A special report written by Benton Senior Fellow Jonathan Sallet

Download Full Report
    The broadband revolution is sparking broad social and economic 
change. We see three overarching benefits that High-Performance 
Broadband can deliver in the next decade:

    Growing the American Economy. High-Performance Broadband transforms 
industries that are basic to everyday life, positively impacting 
agriculture, education, healthcare, energy, and more.
    Empowering Workers. High-Performance Broadband advances skills 
training to boost individual opportunity, helping to overcome income 
inequality and economic frustration.
    Strengthening Communities. High-Performance Broadband spurs 
economic growth and jobs. It can enable civic participation. It can 
improve the health, education. and learning of community members.
    Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 2020s collects, 
combines, and contributes to a national broadband agenda for the next 
decade. Our work is built on the lessons of communities, public-
interest advocates, government officials, and industry experts that 
have labored to expand broadband's reach to everyone in the United 
States. They deserve credit for their investments and innovations, and 
we have attempted to reflect their accomplishments and ideas, while 
contributing Benton's own insights--insights built on a body of work 
stretching back to the 1980s.
    This publication is a part of a discussion on how public policy can 
close the digital divide and extend digital opportunity everywhere.
Report Breakdown
    Today, too many people in the U.S. face barriers that keep them 
from maximizing the opportunities from fixed broadband connections that 
should run to everyone's home. Leaders at all levels of government 
should ensure that everyone is able to use High-Performance Broadband 
in the next decade by embracing the following building blocks for a 
National Broadband Agenda: 1) Deployment, 2) Competition, 3) 
Affordability and Adoption, and 4) Community Anchor Institutions.
    Download the One Sheet Summary | Download Full Executive Summary
Join the Conversation
    The latest conversations on Broadband for America's Future: A 
Vision for the 2020s.
Get Updates
Past Newsletters
June 8, 2020: A Digital Chasm
April 15, 2020: The Broadband Moment
Feb. 28, 2020: The Growing Role of Community Anchor Institutions
Jan. 27, 2020: From Networks to People
Dec. 18, 2019: Broadband Success Stories Across the Country
Nov. 19, 2019: The Conversation About America's Broadband Future 
Continues
Jon Cited in New America's ``The Cost of Connectivity 2020''
    On July 15, New America published The Cost of Connectivity 2020, a 
pivotal report on Internet affordability worldwide, with a particular 
emphasis on connectivity in the United States.
    Authors Becky Chao and Claire Park cite Jon Sallet's recommendation 
of $10 per month being an affordable benchmark for low-income 
households. The authors write, ``Only six plans in our U.S. dataset 
meet this $10 benchmark at any speed tier (only four meet Sallet's 50/
50 Mbps recommendation),'' and all six are offered in Ammon, Idaho. 
Ammon's municipal broadband network was featured in Jon's Broadband for 
America's Future report. ``Even with promotional pricing, no private 
provider offers a plan that meets Sallet's $10 benchmark for low-income 
households,'' said Chao and Park.
Read the Report

                    Jon Featured in Freethink Video

    The digital divide has left over 40 million Americans without 
access to reliable internet. The pandemic has kickstarted initiatives 
to change that. Jon Sallet said, ``These are problems that existed for 
a long time but what this crisis has done is fast-forward us into a 
broadband future.''
Watch the Video

      Jon Sallet and Mignon Clyburn Featured in Boston Globe Ideas

    Jon Sallet and former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn wrote a 
piece, ``Make Broadband Far More Affordable'', that was published in 
the Boston Globe's Ideas section. Sallet and Clyburn write that the 
coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated that broadband is an essential 
pathway to full participation in our society and our economy, and urge 
Congress to ensure affordable broadband for all. ``We urge Congress to 
establish a broadband credit--call it America's Broadband Credit--to 
ensure many more people can afford high-speed Internet access.''
Read the Article

 Jon's Research Cited by Rev. Al Sharpton, FCC Commissioner Starks, Et 
                             Al. In Essence

    On June 17, 2020, Rev. Al Sharpton, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey 
Starks, and other civil rights leaders published the article Broadband 
Access Is A Civil Right We Can't Afford To Lose--But Many Can't Afford 
To Have in Essence. ``There is a broadband emergency in America,'' the 
article begins. ``The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide 
in an unprecedented way. As civil rights leaders and a commissioner of 
the Federal Communications Commission, we are calling on our Nation's 
leadership to enact a robust connectivity plan to address the immediate 
and future needs of marginalized communities.''
    They wrote, ``A recent study indicates that more than 18 million 
households lack broadband simply because it is too expensive. An 
affordable broadband option will help ease the burdens on people who 
struggle to make ends meet. Research shows that low-income families can 
only afford to pay around $10 a month for broadband, which is roughly 
the price point of many Internet offerings targeted toward low-income 
consumers. We must expand these offerings and remove barriers to 
participation,'' which links to Jon's Creating an Affordability Agenda.
Read the Article

  America's Broadband Moment: Creating a Broadband Competition Policy 
                                 Agenda

    Broadband competition is more important than ever because--in these 
crises and beyond--America has fast-forwarded into its broadband 
future. But broadband competition is limited: At a typical broadband 
speed of 100/10 Mbps, at least 80 percent of Americans face either a 
monopoly (no choice) or a duopoly (only one choice) for fixed service. 
It's worse in rural America, where monopoly is even more prevalent. The 
impact is obvious: higher prices, lower quality and/or slowed 
innovation limiting the ability of people to participate fully in 
society and the economy.
    Here are five significant ways governments can encourage 
competition.
Read the Article

      Jon Sallet Referenced on ITIF's ``Innovation Files'' Podcast

    On the June 1, 2020 episode of ``Innovation Files,'' a podcast from 
the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, hosts Rob Atkinson 
and Jackie Whisman spoke with Larry Downes and Blair Levin about their 
recent article for Aspen Institute entitled ``The Internet After COVID-
19: Will We Mind the Gaps?''
    Atkinson incorrectly claimed Sallet suggested that ``we should have 
subsidized two networks in every area'' and asked Downes and Levin for 
their thoughts. To listen to the episode or to view the transcript, 
see: What the COVID Crisis Teaches Us About Broadband Policy, With 
Special Guests Larry Downes and Blair Levin.
Listen to the Podcast

Jon Sallet Featured on Next Century Cities Webinar on How Local Leaders 
                 Can Influence State And Federal Policy

    On May 27, 2020, Next Century Cities hosted a webinar to discuss 
the many ways for local officials to engage in state and Federal 
policymaking. Jon Sallet and Kathryn de Wit, who manages the Broadband 
Research Initiative at Pew Charitable Trusts, spoke on the importance 
of elevating local connectivity challenges while finding ways to work 
in partnership with state and Federal governments.
Watch the Call

  Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Cites Jon Sallet, Benton Institute 
                                Research

    On May 27, 2020, former Federal Communications Commission Chairman 
Tom Wheeler published 5 steps to get the Internet to all Americans: 
COVID-19 and the importance of universal broadband. He wrote:
    ``We hear often about the 'digital divide' in America. The 
challenge is greater than that, however. It is what Jon Sallet calls 
the 'digital chasm'--a cluster of digital divides that are larger, 
longer lasting, multi-faceted, and harder to close. Once and for all, 
it is time to attack the digital chasm. Any such effort begins with 
fixing America's connectivity problem, both in terms of access and 
affordability.''
    He also cited Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 
2020s for the study that found low-income Americans can only afford to 
pay about $10 per month for broadband. He went on to write:

        ``In the 21st century, a low-income subsidy for Internet access 
        is as important as telephone access was in the 20th century. 
        Americans availing themselves of the program should be able to 
        use it to obtain service from any qualified broadband provider, 
        not just a telephone company. And the provision of such a low-
        income program should be a requirement if a company receives 
        Federal support to expand broadband.''
Read the Report

   Jon Sallet Referenced In Forbes Article on Addressing the Digital 
                                 Divide

    In the May 7 Forbes article Three Policies To Address The Digital 
Divide, Robert Seamans discussed expanding and reforming the Lifeline 
program in an effort to address the digital divide. Seamans, an 
associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Busines 
and former senior economist on President Obama's Council fo Economic 
Advisers, specifically cited Jon Sallet's suggestion that the Lifeline 
offering be increased to $50 a month and recipients be allowed more 
choice in how they can spend the offering.
Read the Full Article

        America's Broadband Moment: Making Broadband Affordable

    The time has come for Congress to establish a broadband credit--
call it America's Broadband Credit (ABC)--to ensure that people who 
can't afford broadband can use broadband. The debate on whether 
broadband is a luxury or an essential connection to society is over.
Read the Article

      Jon Sallet Discusses the Digital Divide on Market Day Report

    Jon Sallet discusses bridging the rural digital divide amid the 
coronavirus pandemic.
    ``Rural American needs High-Performance Broadband just as much as 
the rest of America. And that's why Congress needs to act, hopefully, 
on a bipartisan basis.''
    This clip aired on RFDTV's Market Day Report on Wednesday April 29, 
2020.
Watch on YouTube

            Jon Sallet Referenced in Boston Globe Editorial

    On April 26, 2020, the Boston Globe editorial board published A New 
Chance to Close the Digital Divide. The article stresses the need for 
policy solutions that focus on the digital divide in urban areas, 
advocating for solutions that focus on cost. The editorial board 
suggests expanding the Lifeline program, which provides subsidies of 
$9.25 per month for either fixed-line broadband at home or a wireless 
phone plan. They wrote:
    To be eligible for Lifeline, a household must earn no more than 135 
percent of the Federal poverty level, or $29,000 for a family of three. 
But Jon Sallet, a senior fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband 
and Society, says that 135 percent cutoff should be higher--as it is 
for other Federal anti-poverty programs--given the increasing 
importance of broadband for economic development and public health.
Read the Editorial

                       America's Broadband Moment

    The debate on whether broadband is a luxury or an essential 
connection to society is over. More than twice as many people are now 
using residential broadband during business hours as before the COVID-
19 crisis. Over 55 million students have been impacted by school 
closures. The use of telehealth has skyrocketed.
    This is our broadband moment: a hinge of history that will 
determine whether today's residential broadband is fit for the changed 
world in which we inhabit or whether its limits work to disadvantage 
those that are not equipped to use it.
    This is the time to invest in, plan for, and engineer High-
Performance Broadband for every person in America.
Read the Article

 Jon Featured in Merit Webinar ``High-Performance Broadband: Economic 
                         Success in the 2020s''

    On April 9, Jon led a webinar for Merit Networks where he discussed 
the long-term prospect for ensuring that everyone in American has 
access to high-performance broadband, on the continuing importance of 
state and local leadership in broadband, and on short-term Federal 
action.
View Jon's Powerpoint

    Our Networks Are More Vital Than Ever. The FCC Owes Us Updates.

    On March 30, Jon wrote an op-ed in Undark, arguing the FCC should 
issue a weekly broadband status report during the COVID-19 crisis.
    ``America's network infrastructure is a patchwork quilt of 
technologies reaching across a vast geographic area with widely varying 
usage patterns even in normal times. But we are not in normal times, 
and the need for an entity that can provide school administrators, 
emergency planners, and the general public with a bird's eye view of 
the health of our variegated communications systems and technologies 
has never been greater. It's not enough to receive (if we do) 
individual network reports. The FCC, with its view across networks, 
should step up.''
Read the Article

          Our Broadband Moment-Acting Now and Looking Forward

    To mark the National Broadband Plan's 10 year anniversary, Jon 
joined others in discussing what should be on the agenda for a plan for 
the next decade.
    ``The National Broadband Plan showed the way and it has stood the 
test of time. But we are being tested anew and we must, as a nation, 
respond with a broadband plan robust enough to withstand the challenges 
and seize the opportunities of this new, and already frighteningly 
novel, decade.''
Read the Article

                      Jon Quoted in C/Net Article

    Can U.S. broadband companies handle the increased network traffic 
from the coronavirus crisis?
    ``To be honest, I think we just don't know the answer,'' he said. 
``But that's something the FCC should be asking the Nation's broadband 
providers and telling the American people the answer.''
Read the Article

Jon Featured on Panel ``2020 COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Will We Break 
                            the Internet?''

    On April 8, the Fiber Broadband Association hosted a panel to 
examine the effect of COVID-19 on our Internet networks.
    [Account required to view recording]
Watch the Recording

                   Affordable Broadband Now and Later

    In pursuit of achieving truly universal broadband service at a time 
when we know everyone desperately needs to stay connected at home, the 
Federal Communications Commission should immediately provide $50 per 
month to low-income households to subsidize fast broadband service 
during these crises of health and economic dislocation.
    But we must also look past this present emergency and think about 
long-term solutions for our long-standing problems.
Read the Article

  Jon Featured on Panel ``How to Keep Americans Connected During the 
                                Crisis''

    Public Knowledge hosted a webinar to discuss the specific 
regulatory and legislative solutions the FCC and Congress should 
consider to help America overcome the challenges from the coronavirus.
    Four Steps Towards E-Rate Connectivity and Competition
    There's more we can do to improve the effectiveness of the E-rate 
program.
    Special Construction Offers More Competition and Lower Costs
    Buyer Consortia Can Lower Costs and Should Be Encouraged and 
Expanded
    Improved Administration Would Expand the Reach of E-Rate and Lower 
Costs
    State and Local Efforts Magnify the Positive Impact of E-Rate
Read the Full Article

 Community Anchor Institutions as Launching Pads for High-Performance 
                          Broadband Deployment

    Community anchor institutions can serve as a launching pad for 
community-based broadband access and, in places where broadband has 
already been deployed, more broadband competition. As Joanne Hovis 
explains:
    By their nature, most government networks to anchor institutions 
will reach deep into neighborhoods that house schools, libraries, 
public health offices, and government facilities such as water towers 
and fire stations. Many localities then lease excess capacity to 
private sector providers to enable service provision and last-mile 
build-out in the neighborhoods. This trend is fast accelerating as 
hundreds of localities make available spare fiber-optic capacity to 
private carriers at rates designed to catalyze new private sector 
investment and opportunity.
Read the Full Article

      Tell The Story We Know: Broadband Competition is Too Limited

    The competition story needs to be told: We can expect people with 
only one choice to pay monopoly prices, and people with only two 
choices to pay the higher prices typically charged by duopolies. People 
with three or more choices typically pay less. Clearly, people who can 
barely afford to pay a competitive price, say, low-income Americans, 
are particularly vulnerable to artificially high prices.
Read the Full Article

   From Places to People--Connecting Individuals to Community Anchor 
                              Institutions

    Policymakers should help enable community anchor institutions to 
connect to their users wherever they are.
    Congress and the Federal Communications Commission should expand E-
Rate to provide wireless access to students of lower-income families 
who do not have broadband at home. At current prices, $100 million 
would support the full cost of LTE service to between and two million 
and three million K-12 students. (Such efforts should be affordable 
given that the E-Rate program is currently running about $1.3 billion 
below its $3.9 billion budget cap.)
Read the Full Article

  Supporting the Increasingly Important Missions of Community Anchor 
                              Institutions

    Community anchor institutions should be at the center of any 
comprehensive national strategy to promote the availability and use of 
High-Performance Broadband. In the next decade of the 21st century, 
ubiquitous broadband and the special role of community anchor 
institutions will continue to evolve as ubiquitous broadband 
increasingly empowers such institutions where they are, and where their 
users are.
Read the Full Article

         Jon Sallet Featured in Broadband Communities Magazine

    An excerpt of Broadband for America's Future was featured in 
Broadband Communities Magazine January/February 2020 edition.
    ``Today, too many people in the United States face barriers that 
keep them from maximizing the opportunities from fixed broadband 
connections that should run to everyone's home. To overcome these 
barriers, leaders--notably at the state and local levels--are executing 
policies to boost deployment of networks where adequate broadband does 
not exist; competition, which will increase choices and spur lower 
prices and better-quality service to residents; and affordability and 
adoption for those who wish to have broadband in their homes but lack 
the means or the skills to acquire it. They also are working to support 
and enhance community anchor institutions, such as schools and 
libraries, that increasingly serve users wherever they are.''
Read the Full Article

   Next Century Cities' Opportunities for Bipartisan Tech Policy 2020

    On January 23, Jon spoke on the panel ``Broadband Access Versus 
Broadband Subscriptions--the Difference and Why It Matters'' at Next 
Century Cities' Opportunities for Bipartisan Tech Policy 2020.
    You can watch video of the panel here: https://livestream.com/
internetsociety/bipartisntech2020/videos/201203851
    Moderator: Alejandro Roark, Executive Director, Hispanic Technology 
& Telecommunications Partnership
    Joshua Edmonds, Director of Digital Inclusion, City of Detroit
    Jonathan Sallet, Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & 
Society
    Angela Siefer, Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion 
Alliance
    Tom Struble, Technology & Innovation Manager, R Street Institute
Watch The Video

                    Creating an Affordability Agenda

    To meet the challenge of providing fixed broadband at roughly $10 
per month requires implementation of a variety of strategies. Here are 
seven ways governments can tackle the affordability challenge:
    Spur Competition
    Protect and Strengthen the Lifeline Program
    Provide Assistance to Broadband Providers' Low-Income Programs
    Require Affordable Tiers of Broadband Service When Supporting 
Deployment
    Educate and Protect Consumers
    Support Programs That Make Low-Cost Computing Devices Available
    Provide Access Via Community Anchor Institutions
Read the Full Article

        How Do We Ensure That Everyone Has Access To Broadband?

    Jon was featured in a Next Century Cities video that asks ``How do 
we ensure that everyone has access to broadband?''
    Digital Skills and Broadband Adoption
    A key element to adoption is the development of skills so people 
are able to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using 
information technologies and the Internet. This digital literacy is a 
language, a language with which we become better speakers, learners, 
creators, employees, entrepreneurs, and citizens. The need for digital 
skills to get and succeed in new jobs is ubiquitous, across rural, 
suburban and urban areas, across demographics, across age groups. And 
the impact of success is equally broad--building economic success that 
strengthens a community, state and nation.
Read the Full Article

                        From Networks to People

    Broadband's fundamental value doesn't come from connecting 
computers to networks; its value comes from connecting people to 
opportunity, and society to new solutions. When a broadband network is 
available but a person who wants to use it can't do so, then the 
network is less valuable to everyone else who does use it.
    Drawing from Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 
2020s, over the next few weeks we'll be looking at the challenges the 
U.S. faces as we try to achieve more equitable and effective broadband 
use. We will also focus in on adoption efforts in the first Google 
Fiber location--Kansas City.
Read the Full Article

 Too Big to be Left Unnoticed: America's Uncompetitive Broadband Market

    Jon's speech at The Capitol Forum's Annual Tech, Media, & Telecom 
Competition Conference on December 5, 2019.
    We should pay more attention to the lack of competition in the 
provision of fixed broadband to homes and small businesses.
    Fixed-broadband competition is very, very limited. That's a problem 
for consumers and for their communities.
    Pro-competition policies can tackle that problem by stimulating 
competition that delivers competitive benefits to consumers--more 
savings, more quality, more innovation.
    The correct way to think about greater competition is not to ask 
simply what is most profitable for any one company; it is to ask what 
best serves consumers.
    The benefits from the use of High-Performance Broadband accrue to 
the broader economic and social benefit of America. Limited broadband 
competition--without regard to its cause--therefore curbs the economic 
and social progress that broadband can help deliver.
Read the Full Speech

           Jon Sallet Featured on the Broadband Bunch Podcast

    The Broadband Bunch podcast interviews Jon Sallet at the Broadband 
Communities Summit in October 2019. Live, from Washington, D.C.!
    Listen Here (00:00-19:30)
    ``Nobody is saying broadband by itself solves every problem. But 
what we do think is that the big problems in America can't be solved 
without including broadband. Agriculture, climate change, education for 
people of all ages, the economy, health care, all of these kinds of 
solutions will end up riding on broadband networks.''--Jon Sallet
Full Podcast

             Rural Electric Cooperatives Deliver Broadband

    Home broadband subscription rates continue to lag in rural areas, 
holding back local economies and access to telemedicine. The deployment 
of broadband networks to rural areas echoes the challenges earlier 
generations had ensuring that electrical networks and telephone service 
reached everyone. The solutions those earlier generations employed 
provide us lessons for today's broadband challenges.
    See Also: Georgia Authorizes Electric Cooperatives to Deliver Rural 
Broadband. Bill Verner, Senior Vice President with Georgia Electric 
Membership Corp., discusses how Georgia is using electric cooperatives 
to reduce the digital divide.
Read Jon's Full Article

Jon Sallet and Adrianne Furniss on the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

    Benton Institute Executive Director Adrianne Furniss and Senior 
Fellow Jon Sallet sat down with Christopher Mitchell of the Insitute 
for Local Self-Reliance on the Community Broadband Bits Podcast.
    In this episode, Jon analyzes stories and situations from around 
the U.S. and establishes a vision that will help us move forward to 
connect as many people as possible. He and Christopher discuss the four 
major factors that, if nurtured correctly, can help us integrate 
broadband into all sectors of society and maximize its usefulness. 
Christopher and Jon give special time to competition, an issue that 
arises repeatedly in the work at Benton and at the Institute for Local 
Self-Reliance.
Listen to the Interview

            Building Blocks for a National Broadband Agenda

    Jon's speech at the Broadband Communities Conference on October 30, 
2019.
    How does policy help us reach our broadband goal? Policymakers 
should use these four building blocks to create and further broadband 
policy.
    Deployment of networks where adequate broadband does not exist;
    Competition increases choices and spurs lower prices and better-
quality service;
    Affordability and Adoption for those who lack the means or the 
skills to use broadband; and
    Community Anchor Institutions, such as schools and libraries, 
increasingly serve their users wherever those users are.
Read Full Speech

Jon Sallet (Benton), Vint Cerf (Google) and Jim Baller (CLIC) Address a 
        New Vision for America's Broadband Future for the 2020s

    A packed audience in Alexandria, Virginia, listened intently during 
CLIC's afternoon event on October 31, as CLIC's President, Jim Baller, 
led a fascinating discussion on a new vision for America's broadband 
future for the 2020s. This is a moment worth remembering. Setting the 
tone was Gail Roper, Director of National Initiatives for the Knight 
Foundation, who noted how the Knight Foundation emphasizes the 
importance of access, and equity as new Internet applications unfold. 
Gail then introduced Jim Baller, who guided Jon Sallet and Vint Cerf 
(Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google) through a 
spirited discussion of the key components of Jon's special report 
entitled ``Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 2020s.''
Read the Full Article

          Bringing High-Performance Broadband to Rural America

    Many rural communities understand the importance of broadband to 
their future and they are taking matters into their own hands. For 
example, drive about 80 miles from Washington, D.C., and you can find 
yourself in the northern portion of Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The 
research Jon has done for Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for 
the 2020s led him to observe Queen Anne's County's work to connect.
Read the Full Article

   Imperial County: Closing the Homework Gap in a California Desert 
                               Community

    In communities where too many people have no access to broadband 
infrastructure, investing in connections to community anchor 
institutions is an intermediate step that can pay huge public 
dividends. Imperial County, located in the sparsely populated desert 
region of southeastern California, is an exciting example. To close the 
Homework Gap, the Imperial County Office of Education teamed up with 
local school districts to start the BorderLink project, which relies on 
LTE technology to bring wireless Internet connectivity to students in 
eleven communities.
Read the Full Article

           Broadband for America's Future Starts with Anchors

    An Article by John Windhausen, Executive Director of the Schools, 
Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition.
    ``Broadband for America's Future'' author and Benton Fellow 
Jonathan Sallet previewed its policy recommendations for community 
anchor institution (CAI) connectivity at the 9th Annual SHLB 
Conference. Sallet identified the SHLB Coalition's ``To and Through'' 
philosophy as a fundamental principle for CAI broadband policy. To put 
it simply, connecting anchors to high-quality broadband enables them to 
serve as jumping off points to extend connectivity to surrounding 
residents and businesses in the community.
    Unfortunately, some of the dialogue around closing the digital 
divide focuses on connecting residents and businesses, while completely 
ignoring the needs of CAIs. ``Broadband for America's Future'' 
recognizes that connectivity for anchor institutions isn't simply a 
goal of broadband deployment, but a necessary step in closing the 
digital divide. The report clearly shows we will not solve the digital 
divide unless policymakers and industry acknowledge the valuable role 
schools, libraries, and healthcare providers play in making broadband 
available and affordable to their surrounding communities. Learn more 
about the Benton Institute and read the full text of the report here.
Read the Blog Post

           FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks Gives His Support

    FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on Oct. 31 at the Broadband 
Communities Conference, in his prepared remarks:
    I really wish I could have made it here yesterday as well because I 
know Jon Sallet at the Benton [Institute] gave a stellar presentation 
on his new work, `Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 
2020s.' The National Broadband Plan was released in 2010 so I'm glad to 
see we have an advocate in this space who is thinking about creative 
and forward-thinking policies that will address Internet inequality. 
Jon and I share similar views. We recognize that broadband access is 
necessary if we truly want to empower our communities in this digital 
age. So, thank you to Jon and the Benton [Institute] team for all of 
their hard work on this project. I really look forward to diving into 
it and engaging with you all more.

Next Century Cities: Report Gives A Comprehensive Overview of a Problem 
                           That We Can Solve

    Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 2020s highlights 
Next Century Cities' member stories, documenting their ability to 
overcome unique challenges with creative solutions. In a blog post, 
Next Century Cities said the report is, ``sure to bring Next Century 
Cities' member municipalities and others a step closer to a shared goal 
of ensuring that every community has access to high-speed connectivity. 
Sallet offers a masterful account of the policy landscape while 
conveying a sense of urgency for broadband infrastructure to be a 
national priority. His report weaves together policy analysis, impact 
stories, and thoughtful recommendations.''
Read the Blog Post

Michigan's MERIT Network: Connectivity To and Through Community Anchors

    Investment in high-performance broadband infrastructure for 
community anchor institutions can deliver unforeseen dividends for 
years to come. Take, for example, the Merit Network, which operates 
almost 4,000 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in Michigan. To extend 
critical broadband service to all community anchor institutions in 
Michigan, including in rural and underserved communities, Merit used 
two grants from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) 
to create the REACH -3MC (Rural, Education, Anchor, Community and 
Health Care--Michigan Middle Mile Collaborative) project. Completed in 
2014, the project constructed 2,287 miles of the almost 4,000-mile, 
open-access, fiber infrastructure network.
Read the Full Article

         Connecting Communities with High-Performance Broadband

    Jon's speech at AnchorNETS: 9th Annual SHLB Conference on October 
17, 2019.
    Based on what we've learned, we've formulated three basic 
principles for community anchor institution broadband policy.
    First, community anchor institutions need access to competitively-
priced, High-Performance Broadband, and they deserve the discretion to 
make informed choices about what best serves their communities.
    Second, broadband is needed to connect community anchor 
institutions with their users wherever they may be.
    Third, community anchor institutions can serve as launching pads 
for communitywide broadband access and, in places where broadband has 
already been deployed, more broadband competition.
Read Full Speech

  Voqal: Report 'Outlines Road Map for Addressing the Digital Divide'

    Voqal wrote an article on Broadband for America's Future, calling 
it a ``magnum opus of broadband policy for the forthcoming decade.'' 
They note that Sallet's report highlights the Homework Gap and the 
value of immediate short-term solutions like Mobile Citizen, a Wi-Fi 
hotspot program Voqal operates.
Read the Full Article

     Libraries and Schools Join Hands to Connect New Mexico Pueblos

    Over the last year or so, we've been speaking with people around 
the country about how communities are addressing their broadband needs. 
We know that community anchor institutions--schools, libraries, 
healthcare providers and others--play a key role in bringing service to 
broadband deserts. Our friends at the American Library Association 
(ALA) alerted us to how the Middle Rio Grande and Jemez-Zia Pueblo 
Tribal Consortia are connecting pueblos in New Mexico. As the release 
of our report nears, we think it is important to share some of the 
innovative solutions that we've heard.
                                 ______
                                 
                                                       CTIA
                                       Washington, DC, May 13, 2020

Hon. Roger Wicker,
United States Senate,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Maria Cantwell,
United States Senate,
Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell:

    The COVID-19 pandemic has been the ultimate stress test for our 
Nation's wireless networks. Hundreds of millions of Americans quickly 
transitioned to staying at home as much as possible. This monumental 
shift, occurring in just a few days, meant a widespread and rapid 
change in how we use wireless devices and networks. We are proud to 
report the wireless industry has proven more than up to the challenge 
of mobile voice and data increases of nearly 25 percent higher than 
usual.
    Americans are able to reliably connect to their family, friends, 
and co-workers even in the face of these unprecedented challenges. 
Wireless networks in other countries have not fared as well with 
degradations in network quality and speed. Our success is thanks to the 
hard work and billions invested by our Nation's wireless providers. The 
existing U.S. regulatory framework--fostered by this Committee--of 
promoting competition and private investment has also been crucial to 
our success.
    In addition, both national and regional wireless operators have 
stepped up to enhance offerings, safeguard consumers, and take care of 
the employees that make it all possible.
    Serving All Americans. We are especially proud of the steps our 
industry has taken to ensure the pandemic does not disrupt service for 
low-income and underserved communities. According to Pew Research 
Center, one in five Americans access the Internet solely through their 
smartphone, a number that grows much higher within communities of 
color. We take our responsibility as the only source of connectivity to 
those Americans seriously. Many carriers have taken extra steps to 
increase data allocations and rollout new and enhanced offerings for 
their low-income customers. We encourage Congress to partner with us to 
get more Americans online now.
    Keeping Impacted Americans Connected. Access to wireless is 
important to households trying to stay connected to work and school. 
About half of Americans say COVID-19 poses a major threat to their 
finances and ability to keep up with their monthly bills. (Pew) More 
than 650 Internet providers voluntarily joined the FCC's Keep Americans 
Connected Pledge to waive late payment fees and service termination for 
those unable to pay their bills during the pandemic. The FCC's Pledge 
has played a key role, and we agree with the two-thirds of Americans 
that say the government should now help consumers who are unable to pay 
their wired and wireless broadband expenses. (Morning Consult) A simple 
and temporary safety net program to help keep those Americans connected 
will ensure continued broadband access in this critical time. One such 
proposal that merits congressional consideration is a voucher to offset 
the costs of connectivity in a technologically-neutral manner by 
leveraging existing CARES Act distribution mechanisms and the FCC's 
expertise. We stand ready to work with you to develop the right 
solution to help COVID-19 impacted consumers.
    Connecting Schoolchildren. As distance learning becomes the norm, 
keeping students and educators connected has never been more important. 
The wireless industry has gone above and beyond to help create online 
educational tools, expand partnerships, and help provide devices to 
students and teachers. Many providers are also participating in CTIA's 
Connecting Kids Initiative, a program to help connect school districts 
seeking hotspot solutions with wireless carriers in their local 
community. So far, hundreds of thousands of kids have been newly 
connected thanks to these collective efforts. Here too, we cannot be 
successful alone. It is important that Congress provide the dedicated 
funding the education community has sought to support hotspot-capable 
devices and services for remote learning. To that end, we support the 
Emergency Educational Connections Act.
    Building for Tomorrow. One of the primary reasons we could meet 
America's overnight surge in Internet usage is we build each year for 
tomorrow's network demands. The wireless industry invests more than $20 
billion a year, every year, to make sure that our networks continue to 
improve their reliability and resiliency. A key component of this 
annual push is incorporating new spectrum, and providers are meeting 
today's demand with up to 100 megahertz of temporarily leased spectrum. 
This much-needed capacity boost is thanks to the decisive action of the 
FCC. We urge Congress to provide a pipeline of future licensed 
spectrum, particularly mid-band spectrum, so we can build to be ready 
for tomorrow's needs. Operators must also continue to modernize, 
upgrade, and expand wireless facilities each and every year. During 
this pandemic, Congress should ensure zoning and permitting offices 
have the resources and modernized processes they need to allow new 
deployments in a safe and timely manner. CTIA is ready to work with 
Congress and localities to ensure we can keep building tomorrow's 
infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic and our Nation's recovery.
    Wireless carriers have risen to the challenge of the COVID-19 
pandemic, working tirelessly to keep consumers connected and mobile 
networks strong. We are proud of how well the industry has responded, 
and we look forward to continuing to work with your Committee to ensure 
wireless resiliency and connectivity for Americans as we move forward 
together.
            Sincerely,
                                    Meredith Attwell Baker,
                                                 President and CEO,
                                                                  CTIA.
                                 ______
                                 
                      National Association of Manufacturers
                                       Washington, DC, May 13, 2020

Hon. Roger Wicker,
Chairman,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
United States Senate,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Maria Cantwell,
Ranking Member,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
United States Senate,
Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell:

    During this time of crisis, manufacturers in America continue 
operating while doing everything possible to ensure the health and 
safety of millions of employees, their families and their communities. 
The country is depending on the many products we make--from equipment 
and vehicles needed for our Nation's first responders to items that may 
not seem critical but are integral to the supply chain and necessary 
during these uncertain times.
    The National Association of Manufacturers appreciates the 
committee's focus on the critical role of digital infrastructure at 
this unique moment. Manufacturers view today's hearing on ``The State 
of Broadband Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic'' as the beginning of an 
important conversation, and we will continue to contribute our 
perspective beyond today's hearing. Before the COVID-19 crisis, 
manufacturers have been reliant on robust and reliable broadband 
infrastructure to carry out operations, and today our sector's 
dependence on broadband is even more evident. Broadband is supporting 
remote work, training and education, and it is enabling new, 
technology-driven solutions that allow individuals to carryout in-
person tasks while maintaining safe distances. Investments and policies 
to enhance broadband infrastructure can support this new era of digital 
transformation for manufacturers, their employees and their families. 
These solutions should be part of the plan for growth as we look toward 
the future.
    The NAM's ``American Renewal Action Plan'' is our policy guide for 
the Nation's response, recovery and renewal as we continue to fight the 
COVID-19 pandemic. For long-term renewal, the plan calls for bold 
actions that set the stage for long-term growth, including historic 
investment in our Nation's infrastructure. The plan states:

        Even before the crisis, America desperately needed bold 
        infrastructure investment. Now, building a 21st-century 
        infrastructure system will not only provide urgently needed 
        jobs but also lay the foundation for a more competitive 
        economy:

        Congress should approve historic investment of at least $1 
        trillion in our Nation's infrastructure that aligns with the 
        NAM's ``Building to Win'' blueprint, which calls for upgrades 
        to our transportation, water, energy and digital infrastructure 
        systems.

    The NAM's ``Building to Win'' plan covers all forms of 
infrastructure critical for the manufacturing ecosystem. In focusing on 
digital infrastructure, the blueprint explains, ``internet-driven 
technology is at the heart of modern manufacturing through connected 
shop floors and the development and use of the Internet of things and 
emerging technologies.'' The plan calls for Congress to support 
investment in our broadband infrastructure system, maximize consumer 
choice in how they connect and reduce regulatory barriers that can slow 
manufacturers' ability to deploy current and next-generation broadband 
infrastructure.
    Enhanced broadband investment and the growth of next generation 
wireless networks are critical both for the current challenges in 
COVID-19 and to support the continued technological leadership of our 
Nation's manufacturers. We appreciate this Committee's attention to 
this issue, and we look forward to working with you to advance 
broadband infrastructure investments that support manufacturing growth 
and innovation.
            Sincerely,
                                            Stephanie Hall,
                                       Director, Innovation Policy,
                                 National Association of Manufacturers.
                                 ______
                                 
                                         R Street Institute
                                       Washington, DC, May 13, 2020
Hon. Roger Wicker,
Chairman,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.

Hon. Maria Cantwell,
Ranking Member,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.

RE: Hearing on ``The State of Broadband Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic''

Dear Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell,

    We at the R Street Institute (``R Street'') commend you and the 
Committee for holding this hearing on ``The State of Broadband Amid the 
COVID-19 Pandemic.'' \1\ As we have noted recently, with the pandemic 
forcing many Americans to stay inside and work, study and socialize 
remotely, the need for high-speed broadband connectivity has never been 
greater.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Hearing on `The State of Broadband Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic' 
Before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 
116th Cong. (May 13, 2020), https://bit.ly/2yEK8hO.
    \2\ Tom Struble, Boosting Connectivity to Help Conquer COVID-19, 
MORNING CONSULT (April 22, 2020), https://bit.ly/35L6Sso; Jeffrey 
Westling, FCC, Broadband Industry Rising to the Challenge of COVID-19, 
R ST. INST. (March 26, 2020), https://bit.ly/2Wk3LVw.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Fortunately, both the Federal Communications Commission (``FCC'') 
and American broadband providers have risen to the challenge. On March 
13, the FCC announced the ``Keep Americans Connected Pledge,'' which 
over 700 providers have signed onto, agreeing to continue service, 
waive late fees and open their networks to the public.\3\ Initially set 
to expire this week, the pledge has since been extended through the end 
of June.\4\ Additionally, the Commission has granted wireless providers 
temporary authority to operate in key spectrum bands;\5\ waived its 
gift rules to allow schools, libraries and telemedicine providers to 
purchase Wi-Fi hotspots using their Universal Service support;\6\ eased 
the Lifeline program's recertification and reverification requirements 
to help consumers stay connected;\7\ and used funds appropriated by 
Congress in the CARES Act to establish a $200 million COVID-19 
Telehealth Program.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Press Release, ``Chairman Pai Launches The Keep Americans 
Connected Pledge,'' Fed. Commc'ns Comm'n (March 13, 2020), https://
bit.ly/35GqnTa.
    \4\ Press Release, ``Chairman Pai Extends Keep Americans Connected 
Pledge Through End of June Due to Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic,'' Fed. 
Commc'ns Comm'n (April 30, 2020), https://bit.ly/3ciPYUF.
    \5\ Press Release, ``FCC Grants AT&T and Verizon Further Temporary 
Spectrum Access to Keep Americans Connected During the Pandemic,'' Fed. 
Commc'ns Comm'n (March 20, 2020), https://bit.ly/2yvq8OM; see also 
Press Release, ``FCC Grants Wireless ISPs Temporary Access to Spectrum 
in 5.9 GHz Band to Meet Increase in Rural Broadband Demand During 
Pandemic,'' Fed. Commc'ns Comm'n (March 27, 2020). https://bit.ly/
2xQ2iwK.
    \6\ Order, Rural Health Care Universal Service Support Mechanism & 
Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, WC Docket 
No. 02-60 & CC Docket No. 02-6 (March 18, 2020), https://bit.ly/
3bhUD87.
    \7\ Order, Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization, WC Docket 
No. 11-42 (March 17, 2020), https://bit.ly/2WezhnB.
    \8\ Report and Order, Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers 
and COVID-19 Telehealth Program, WC Docket No. 19-213 & WC Docket No. 
20-89 (April 2, 2020), https://bit.ly/2SOncn2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    These efforts, combined with the FCC's light-touch approach to 
broadband regulation,\9\ have allowed American broadband networks to be 
remarkably resilient in handling the increased traffic they are 
facing.\10\ However, there is still more work to be done, and Congress 
should consider the following steps to help provide relief and boost 
connectivity in the short, medium and long term.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\ Christopher S. Yoo, Coronavirus Crisis Vindicates the FCC's 
``Net Neutrality'' Rollback, Wall St. J. (April 14, 2020), https://
on.wsj.com/35OaZE8.
    \10\ Alec Stapp, Why Netflix and YouTube Aren't Breaking the 
Internet in the United States, Morning Consult (April 10, 2020), 
https://bit.ly/2Llcikw.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the short term, Congress should focus on keeping existing 
networks online and assisting consumers with their broadband bills. The 
FCC's Lifeline program already provides low-income consumers with some 
support to help defray their broadband costs, but that support and 
eligibility for it are both quite limited. Congress should consider 
either boosting the Lifeline program, by expanding eligibility and 
increasing the amount of support available, or authorizing one-time 
vouchers akin to those used to assist Americans during the Digital 
Television transition.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \11\ Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-171, 
Sec. Sec. 3001-3013, 120 Stat. 21 (Feb. 8, 2006).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the medium term, Congress should unleash private capital by 
reducing regulatory barriers to infrastructure deployment through 
legislation like the STREAMLINE Act.\12\ This is an issue explored in R 
Street's Broadband Scorecard, in which we analyze each state's laws 
governing various aspects of broadband deployment, including access to 
public rights of way, construction permitting, franchising and 
zoning.\13\ While many states have made great progress in streamlining 
processes and eliminating unnecessary red tape, numerous others lag 
behind. These regulatory barriers make infrastructure deployment slower 
and more expensive, so reducing them will help promote new investment 
and construction to aid in the recovery and boost connectivity once the 
pandemic has passed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \12\ STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act, S. 1699, 116th Cong. 
(June 3, 2019).
    \13\ Tom Struble & Jeffrey Westling, 2019 Broadband Scorecard 
Report, R St. Inst. (Feb. 12, 2020), https://bit.ly/2YJHstM.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Finally, in the long term, Congress should work with the FCC and 
broadband providers to identify any areas where market forces and 
private capital are not enough. The recently passed Broadband DATA Act 
will help in that regard,\14\ identifying the areas that are truly in 
need of support. But while the FCC's Universal Service programs can 
address that problem on their own, additional support from Congress 
would accelerate that deployment. To fund such support, Congress should 
identify new wireless frequency bands that can support commercial 
services like 5G and extend the FCC's auction authority for those 
bands. Encouraging the Defense Department to finish its ongoing study 
of the 3.1-3.55 GHz band would help, but additional low-, mid- and 
high-band spectrum will be needed to keep pace with growing demand for 
wireless services. Congress should identify and begin the process of 
repurposing these bands as soon as possible.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \14\ Broadband DATA Act, Pub. L. No. 116-130, 134 Stat. 228 (March 
23, 2020).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 * * *
    We again commend you for your efforts to review the state of our 
broadband networks and help keep Americans connected during the 
pandemic.
            Sincerely,
                                               Tom Struble,
                          Technology and Innovation Policy Manager,
                                                    R Street Institute.
                                          Jeffrey Westling,
                  Technology and Innovation Policy Resident Fellow,
                                                    R Street Institute.
                                 ______
                                 
            Statement from the Utilities Technology Council
    The Utilities Technology Council (UTC) thanks the Senate Commerce, 
Science & Transportation Committee for the opportunity to submit these 
comments for the record. From previous hearings and testimonies, this 
Committee has well documented that without access to fast, affordable, 
and reliable broadband, unserved and underserved communities are at a 
distinct socio-economic disadvantage. In a COVID-19 lockdown, having a 
broadband connection is a lifeline to everything people need for their 
everyday lives, and it opens up opportunities to work from home. Lack 
of connectivity hurts small businesses in these communities, and it 
also creates a homework gap for students that prevents them from 
studying at home or forces them to go out to surf on an open wi-fi 
connection in a parking lot near a restaurant or other business. It 
also prevents patients from getting access to telemedicine in hospitals 
and clinics and medical care in their homes. Unfortunately, but not 
surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has once again cast these harsh 
realities into the public spotlight. As this hearing examines 
initiatives to maintain and expand broadband access to all Americans, 
including understanding the impact of funds recently made available by 
the CARES Act, UTC asks every committee member to think through, and 
expand upon, how electric utilities of all ownership types are already 
working to bring reliable broadband to unserved and underserved 
communities--and particularly in high cost deployment areas.
    Established in 1948, UTC is the global association representing 
energy and water utilities on their needs related to the deployment of 
reliable and resilient information and communication technology (ICT), 
and when economically and regulatorily possible, are deploying creative 
broadband solutions and services. Energy and water utilities use ICT 
networks as the backbone for the infrastructure that delivers safe, 
reliable, and secure energy and water services.
    The decision for many electric utilities to provide broadband is a 
natural progression, because in most cases, these utilities have 
already built, and are upgrading, communications networks to modernize 
the electric grid, and to enhance electric reliability and resiliency. 
These networks include wireline and wireless systems that can provide 
broadband capacity. Electric utilities are able to leverage both their 
communications network infrastructure and their existing knowledge to 
deliver broadband. Importantly, utilities are providing broadband 
services to areas where other communications service providers would 
not serve and they are offering gigabit speeds at prices that are often 
less than $100 a month. The investments that utilities are making and 
have made in deploying broadband to unserved areas are making a big 
difference in these communities particularly during COVID-19, as 
distance learning and working from home have become increasingly 
prevalent. Given what utilities have accomplished with broadband 
already, an increasing number of both Federal and state policymakers 
view electric utilities as a natural fit to further engage in broadband 
deployment efforts.
    The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) represents a significant 
opportunity for funding to help offset the high cost for utilities to 
deploy broadband in unserved areas. The RDOF will be critical to help 
fund and expand broadband services to unserved communities throughout 
America, as it will prioritize funding to projects that provide faster 
speeds and lower latency, and during the reverse auction, the FCC will 
immediately assign support in the clearing round to the bidder with the 
lowest performance tier and latency weight instead of, as was done in 
the CAF II auction, carrying forward all bids at the base clock 
percentage for the same area for bidding in additional clock rounds. 
This will invest Federal funding wisely in future-proof projects 
capable of meeting increasing consumer expectations on a cost-effective 
basis. Additionally, this will also avoid investments in technologies 
that become obsolete and must be replaced.
    While a significant number of electric utilities are working 
diligently to participate in this once-in-a-generation funding 
opportunity, as many utilities plan to invest funds from RDOF to offer 
fiber-to-the-home services at affordable prices, some challenges 
remain. For instance, RDOF rules should ensure that only proven 
broadband technologies can bid for these critical dollars. Questionable 
claims about the technical capabilities of certain broadband services 
and coverage in eligible areas for RDOF must be appropriately examined 
and scrutinized by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff; and 
other areas that are funded using ReConnect loans and/or other Federal 
and state broadband programs to provide 25/3 Mbps services should be 
eligible for RDOF dollars. Lastly, with the necessity for access to 
broadband being reinforced by the ongoing pandemic, the FCC and this 
Committee should work to ensure that the RDOF auction remains on 
schedule and funding is awarded on an accelerated basis where possible.
    As a trend, an increasing number of investor-owned utilities (IOUs) 
are entering into creative partnerships with regional and local 
broadband providers, and even electric cooperatives, to bring high-
speed Internet to unserved and underserved areas. Appalachian Power and 
Dominion Energy in Virginia, along with Southern Company in Alabama and 
Entergy in Mississippi, are excellent examples of these partnerships. 
Importantly, these electric utilities are installing fiber in rural 
areas to help transform and upgrade the electric grid for operational 
needs, and to support the use of new smart grid technologies, while 
simultaneously making it economically feasible for other providers to 
offer retail broadband services in unserved areas. As this Committee 
continues to work through solutions to close the rural digital divide, 
UTC urges members to consider how investor-owned utilities, as well as 
electric cooperatives and public power utilities are partnering to 
provide broadband. Grid modernization and rural broadband efforts are 
complementary, and when possible, should not be compartmentalized in 
silos.
    Perhaps most traditionally and obviously, utilities empower 
broadband by providing telecommunications carriers and cable television 
operators affordable access to utility poles. Utility poles are 
essential to delivering reliable and affordable electricity to everyone 
in the country. Many, if not all, of these poles carry cable, 
broadband, and other services. However, evidence suggests that reducing 
pole-attachment rates has no bearing on the deployment of rural 
broadband. Indeed, state governmental agencies have found no conclusive 
evidence linking lower pole fees to rural broadband expansion. The 
Virginia State Corporation Commission concluded in a 2011 report that, 
``[n]o persuasive evidence was submitted in this proceeding that proved 
lower pole-attachment rates would directly result in additional 
broadband deployment.'' \1\ Therefore, the Committee and the FCC should 
develop deregulatory approaches that encourage voluntary access to 
utility infrastructure by telecommunications carriers and cable 
television service operators, which will in turn accelerate broadband 
deployment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ ``Report on Electric Cooperative Pole Attachment Issues.'' 
Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission, November 1, 
2011. Link to text: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/docketsearch/DOCS/
2h%40m01!.PDF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    UTC once again thanks the Committee for holding this important 
hearing and appreciates the opportunity to submit this statement. 
Ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, reliable 
broadband is just as important today as electricity was for the growth 
of the Nation a century ago. Now as then, electric utilities are 
critical partners in doing so and stand ready to assist. We look 
forward to working with the Committee in ensuring that all Americans 
have access to robust, affordable and reliable broadband networks and 
services.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Roger Wicker to 
                            Steven K. Berry
    Question. There are active initiatives and programs aimed at 
keeping small businesses in operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
During this time, telecommunications carriers and broadband providers 
have volunteered to not disconnect critical voice and Internet services 
to these small businesses. As Congress examines continued broadband 
connectivity needs amid the pandemic, how can Congress best support 
telecommunications carriers and broadband providers that have 
volunteered to keep small businesses connected during this public 
health emergency?
    Answer. CCA members have implemented several measures, including 
signing on to the Keep America Connected pledge or otherwise 
implementing policies to maintain connectivity. These policies have a 
material impact on the business operations of smaller carriers, 
including cash flow and long-term outstanding debt. Any further 
extensions of the pledge absent relief will further strain carriers, 
affecting operations, employee retention, and could lead to additional 
carriers exiting the marketplace, in some instances leaving consumers 
rural areas without a reliable service provider. Unfortunately, the 
financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic on top of previously 
existing challenges faced by competitive carriers has led to certain 
carriers shuttering their business permanently and exiting the market 
during this time.
    CCA supports the Stay Connected Voucher Program, which would help 
address the concern of mounting consumer debt as nonpayment continues. 
The Program would assist and empower consumers while maintaining 
connectivity and ensure carriers receive some reimbursement for 
communications services that have been and continue to be provided.
                                 ______
                                 
      Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Roy Blunt to 
                            Steven K. Berry
    Question. This Committee has been focused on getting 
telecommunications access to families and business that still lack 
modern access. However, due to COVID-19, I understand that many 
Americans are being presented with new challenges, including concerns 
of telecommunications affordability. Many others have struggled with 
telecom affordability for a long time, depending on where they live and 
how competitive their particular area is. According to Pew, about half 
of Americans consider COVID to be a threat to their finances. Which is 
why many sectors, including the telecommunications sector, have made 
historic obligations to maintain service for customers during this 
crisis period, irreverent of ability to pay.
    Are there any proposals out there to assist families in Missouri 
and across the country with telecom affordability and adoption concerns 
through this public health emergency period, and beyond it?
    Answer. While multiple proposals have been suggested to assist 
families in Missouri and across the country to ensure consumers 
maintain critical broadband connectivity, particularly as education, 
health, business, and other functions have moved online, CCA strongly 
supports the Stay Connected Voucher proposal. This proposal builds on 
the established verification and distribution channels created by 
Congress in the CARES Act to swiftly ensure that families, including 
those facing mounting debt as services have remain connected even in 
cases where payment has been delayed due to circumstances resulting 
from the pandemic, can receive assistance to meet obligations to remain 
connected.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                            Steven K. Berry
    Question 1. While I certainly support more Federal resources 
dedicated to the deployment of broadband infrastructure, I think it is 
important for Congress to also gauge the current financial situation of 
the more than 700 broadband providers participating in the FCC's Keep 
Americans Connected Pledge.
    As Congress focuses its attention on improving broadband 
connectivity, particularly with the high-demand for such services in 
this pandemic, how should Congress prioritize funding support to the 
broadband providers that are already shouldering a significant 
financial hardship by putting their customers first and participating 
in the pledge? Is there an estimate of total aggregated costs to date 
of all the waived late fees and uncollected payments to participating 
providers?
    Answer. Until regular payments from consumers resume, it is 
challenging to aggregate the overall cost to CCA members. As one 
industry example, Verizon recently noted that last month 2.5 percent of 
their customers were unable to pay. These impacts could be more 
significant in high cost areas, as well as when additional unemployment 
benefits and programs like the Paycheck Protection Program expire this 
summer.
    Carriers that have signed on to the Keep Americans Connected 
Pledge, as well as those who did not formally sign the pledge but have 
adopted other policies to maintain connectivity, are experiencing 
financial stress as economic challenges continue.
    Congress should prioritize funding in a way that empowers consumers 
through a program like the Stay Connected Voucher proposal. This 
proposal builds on the established verification and distribution 
channels created by Congress in the CARES Act to swiftly ensure that 
families, including those facing mounting debt as services have remain 
connected even in cases where payment has been delayed due to 
circumstances resulting from the pandemic, can receive assistance to 
meet obligations to remain connected.

    Question 2. In terms of legislative solutions, the witness 
testimonies included the ``Stay Connected Voucher Program'' and the 
Keeping Critical Connection Act. How would each of these proposals meet 
the needs of the participating providers? Can these two proposals in 
particular co-exist and complement each other?
    Answer. These proposals are complimentary: the Stay Connected 
Voucher Program empowers consumers to pay their bills and remain 
connected, while the Keeping Critical Connections Act ensures that 
small business providers, oftentimes the only provider in their 
geographic area, are not forced out of business due to stresses from 
the current crisis. This relationship is similar to Congress's approach 
in the CARES Act, to both provide resources for small businesses as 
well as qualifying consumers.

    Question 3. These past few weeks, I have been speaking with 
community and business leaders across the state of Kansas to discuss a 
number of Federal policy issues in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 
and while broadband is brought up in almost every conversation, 
connectivity specific to telehealth and remote learning purposes are 
clear priorities to my constituents.
    Congress took important steps aimed to address these issues in the 
Phase III package, including the $200 million to the FCC for a 
telehealth pilot program and dedicated funding to the Elementary and 
Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund for ``purchasing educational 
technology;'' however, I am not sure that these steps are enough to 
address the immediacy of the needs at hand.
    How should Congress prioritize specific-use types, like telehealth 
and remote learning, in its consideration of future Federal broadband 
resources? Do we envision these specific use types providing 
connections to the home of the patient and/or student?
    Answer. This pandemic has produced a monumental shift in how 
Americans utilize broadband at home. Ensuring connectivity for students 
and patients should be a priority. Wireless broadband can immediately 
support additional services, like remote learning and telehealth, where 
coverage is available, compared to the long-term challenges of 
expanding fixed access. Policies supporting immediate connectivity, 
based on data-driven research, should be embraced. I am proud of CCA 
member carriers that are taking extraordinary steps to provide their 
neighbors with connectivity to support telehealth and remote learning.

    Question 4. How do we envision Federal support focused on 
telehealth and remote learning initiatives interacting with more 
comprehensive broadband programs, like USDA's ReConnect and USF's High 
Cost Program, that are more generally focused on providing high-speed 
broadband to the home of rural Americans? Can they be effectively 
coordinated to prevent duplication of Federal spending?
    Answer. Any support should be closely coordinated at the Federal 
level to prevent duplication of Federal spending and maximize the use 
of funds for the benefit of as many Americans in need as possible. This 
is dependent on reliable data regarding where Americans do and do not 
have sufficient coverage.

    Question 5. If Congress were to establish new Federal broadband 
programs that interact with existing Federal programs, should they be 
part of the existing programs like USF or RUS or should they stand 
alone?
    Answer. Any newly established programs should not upset the long-
term viability and need for ongoing high cost Universal Service Fund 
support but can leverage lessons learned to appropriately target 
resources to preserve and expand service. This requires reliable 
coverage maps. Outside of USF or RUS, Congress should consider 
providing assistance directly to consumers through the distribution 
process established in the CARES Act like the Stay Connected Voucher 
program.

    Question 6. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I 
agree with your testimony emphasizing the importance of Congress 
appropriately funding the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks 
Reimbursement Program [also known as the ``Rip-and-Replace'' Program] 
to remove network elements that are deemed to pose security risks and 
replace them with alternative equipment.
    Separately, I am interested in identifying an appropriate role for 
Congress to support the software-based technology solutions in Open 
Radio Access Network (O-RAN) equipment. How can Congress support 
development of this type of innovative technology without 
inappropriately tipping the regulatory scales in the form of technology 
mandates?
    Answer. ORAN presents exciting new opportunities, with the 
potential to disaggregate functionality to increase efficiency and 
reduce costs. I encourage further research and development to explore 
virtualized solutions. The potential for introducing American vendors 
into the ecosystem has tremendous benefits, but each layer must be 
sufficiently vetted for security, and policymakers should not mandate 
which technologies are used in wireless networks, but instead should 
encourage research into new, secure technologies to enhance customer 
choice, innovation, and cost savings. Congress can support further 
research and development to support U.S. leadership in this emerging 
space without unintentionally harming trusted network equipment 
providers, particularly as carriers are working to remove covered 
equipment from their networks. I agree that technology mandates 
regarding O-RAN equipment are not appropriate.

    Question 7. Your testimonies made clear that availability of 
personal protective equipment (PPE) for your employees remains a 
critical issue for many of the companies you represent. I have had 
similar conversations with many businesses from other sectors in 
Kansas, and while I understand FEMA has been able to provide PPE to 
your member companies in some situations, what are your member 
companies doing to engage their own supply chains for such equipment?
    Do your trade associations assist your member companies in 
navigating these increasingly complex supply chain concerns?
    Answer. Wireless carriers were largely left on their own to 
navigate the PPE marketplace and disrupted supply chain, facing the 
same difficulties many Americans and business sectors faced acquiring 
PPE. CCA was able to assist our carriers in acquiring cloth facial 
coverings from the Federal government leveraging our participation 
through the Communications Sector Coordinating Council.
                                 ______
                                 
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Shelley Moore Capito to 

                            Steven K. Berry
    Question 1. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently 
released their 2020 Broadband Deployment Report which has shown 
progress has been made in connecting our communities across the 
country. However, the report is based off data that we all agree is 
deeply flawed and continues to show that the majority of the unserved 
are in rural areas.
    What are your members doing to keep Americans connected, and 
specifically for rural communities? As states begin to reopen, what 
impacts are your members anticipating in the months to come?
    Answer. CCA members worked hard to provide seamless service during 
the near-immediate shift of consumers primarily utilizing residence-
based broadband facilities in March of 2020. As America begins to 
reopen, CCA members are preparing their employees and networks to meet 
the needs of their consumers. Employee safety is paramount, and a 
return to ``normal'' operations will require access to Personal 
Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies as they return to offices and 
retail locations.
    I commend the FCC for expediting Special Temporary Authority (STA) 
licenses for spectrum, which have proven extremely beneficial in 
helping carriers meet additional demands on their data, allowing them 
to immediately enhance capacity and coverage by deploying service using 
additional airwaves. I would encourage policymakers to look at 
innovative ways to make this spectrum available for competitive 
carriers on a long-term basis where appropriate, to continue meeting 
consumer demand.
    CCA members have taken several steps to keep their customers 
connected, from maintaining service despite inability to pay to 
increasing data allotments with no additional charge to consumers 
during these challenging times. These efforts are at significant cost 
to rural providers and are not sustainable long-term without support 
from Congress.

    Question 2. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced 
their plans for moving forward with the establishment of the 5G Fund 
for Rural America (5G Fund). Their proposal would distribute up to $9 
billion through USF to support 5G connectivity in rural America. I 
understand the FCC has received various opinions and concerns about the 
proposal which have also been expressed today.
    In your testimony, you recommend that the FCC implement the mobile 
provisions of the Broadband DATA Act. With those provisions implemented 
what do you expect that timeline will be?
    Answer. Our members believe that an appropriately targeted data 
collection can be completed expeditiously, allowing the FCC to conduct 
an auction in 2021.

    Question 3. I participated in an EDTalk with the WV Education 
Alliance which focused on expanding access to learning during the 
COVID-19 crisis. One of the topics that was discussed was the FCC's 
waiving of the gift rule for the E-Rate program. This would allow 
schools and libraries to accept improved capacity or Wi-Fi hotspots 
from providers to support remote learning.
    Have any of your members been able to take advantage of this 
waiver?
    Answer. Waiving the gift rule for the E-Rate program is a 
commonsense reform that we hope will enhance connectivity for students 
across the Nation. CCA members are continuing work to determine how 
they can best assist the students and schools in their community, and 
any waiving of red tape facilitates increased access for carriers of 
all sizes.

    Question 4. Have you encountered any challenges in providing 
distance learning during the pandemic? How are your members working 
with school and libraries, and other anchor institution, in deploying 
hotspots to help fill the gap in our rural communities?
    Answer. CCA members have gone above and beyond to provide 
connectivity and adapt their services during the pandemic. For Example, 
when schools quickly shifted to online learning in Rutland, Vermont, 
CCA member Vermont Telephone Company (VTel) partnered with Ericsson to 
provide free high-speed Internet and Google Chrome books to a school 
district with 70 percent of students receiving free or reduced lunch. 
In less than ten days, VTel and Ericsson deployed and installed 4G/5G 
wireless radios and antennas in downtown Rutland and delivered wireless 
modems and routers to homes to allow students to receive free broadband 
service immediately.
    Other CCA members have taken steps to increase WiFi access for 
their customers, including additional WiFi hotspots and access in 
community centers and near carrier facilities.
    Several other members have gone above and beyond to make sure that 
hotspots and hotspot capable devices are widely available, including to 
support distance learning.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Todd Young to 
                            Steven K. Berry
    Question 1. Mr. Berry, what more can Congress do to close the so-
called homework gap and ensure Hoosier students have broadband access 
for distance learning?
    Answer. To close the homework gap, we must first know where 
students, families, and educational facilities lack connectivity. This 
requires a collection of reliable data to determine where broadband 
connectivity is, and isn't being provided. Congress must ensure the FCC 
implements the Broadband DATA act in the manner Congress intended.

    Question 2. I've heard from a number of Hoosiers that flexibility 
with E-Rate funds would go a long way to connecting more students 
during the pandemic.
    Mr. Berry, what flexibility should be made available? What 
authority does the FCC currently have to provide flexibility? What 
authority should Congress give to the FCC to provide more flexibility?
    Answer. E-rate funds should be made available to provide service to 
students who are learning from home, not only to educational 
facilities. Devices like hotspots and hotspot-capable devices should be 
included in the program to help expand the program's reach. Congress 
can use lessons learned from temporary programs implemented to address 
issues regarding the pandemic to appropriately tailor FCC authority, 
including flexibility, on a more permanent basis based on what does and 
does not work.
                                 ______
                                 
 Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Richard Blumenthal to 
                            Steven K. Berry
    Question 1. Companies in the telecommunications industry differ in 
being able to shoulder the financial pressures of the pandemic. The 
voluntary pledges from carriers to keep Americans connected have played 
a meaningful role helping distressed families; however, these 
commitments and deferments of nonpayment come at a cost to companies. 
Clearly this burden falls more heavily on smaller carriers.
    What programs, support, and other assistance is available to 
protect the competitive telecommunications market as these carriers are 
being asked to keep families and small businesses connected?
    Answer. Currently, there are no programs, support, or other 
assistance available to competitive telecommunications carriers to 
offset costs incurred to keep families and small businesses connected. 
Absent Congressional action to address these issues, consumers could 
face extreme bill shock as deferred payments become due, and 
competitive carriers may struggle from reduced cash flow and 
potentially uncollectable debt. CCA supports the Stay Connected Voucher 
program to help keep Americans connected.

    Question 2. We should remain vigilant toward protecting competition 
in the telecommunications market during this time. A pandemic and a 
period of financial hardship for competitive carriers should not 
pretext for incumbents and others to hike up prices or stifle 
competition.
    Are you concern about this pandemic lessening competition in the 
telecommunications market? If so, why? Have you seen any indication 
that competitive carriers will have trouble weathering current 
financial pressures?
    Answer. Fortunately, we have not seen price increases from 
incumbent or competitive carriers as the industry has worked to 
maintain connectivity as usage patterns and locations have shifted. 
However, I remain concerned that the digital divide persists, both in 
terms of areas of the country without sufficient broadband service and 
in individual consumers' ability to afford broadband. More work must be 
done to preserve and expand wireless broadband services and to foster 
increased competition in the marketplace.
    The financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic, on top of 
existing challenges faced by competitive carriers, has challenged 
competitive carriers with increased financial pressures, and 
unfortunately led to certain carriers shuttering their business 
permanently and exiting the market during this time.

    Question 3. Is it fair to expect that incumbent carriers should not 
be increasing rates charged to competitors for services during the 
pandemic and its foreseeable aftermath?
    Answer. I am not immediately aware of rate increases charged to 
competitors for access to backhaul or roaming services. We have seen 
carriers of all sizes introduce service plans and other benefits to 
assist consumers during these challenging times, even at great cost to 
their business.

    Question 4. Aside from financial assistance, is there anything else 
we should be doing to protect competition in the telecommunications 
industry during this time?
    Answer. I would be remiss to downplay the urgent need for Congress 
to consider financial assistance for carriers and consumers for 
extraordinary circumstances during these challenging times.
    In addition to financial assistance, the use of Special Temporary 
Authority (STA) licenses to increase access to spectrum to meet 
increased demands on networks have proven extremely beneficial, with 
carriers both making spectrum available for other carriers, including 
competitors, as well as putting additional spectrum to use, in some 
cases within days. I encourage policymakers to look at innovative ways 
to make spectrum available for competitive carriers on a long-term 
basis where it will otherwise remain underutilized.
    As we move towards a 5G world, access to spectrum, devices, 
roaming, and infrastructure deployment will remain key issues to 
protect and bolster competition in the wireless industry.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roger Wicker to 
                           Shirley Bloomfield
    Question 1. In October, the FCC is expected to begin the first 
phase of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. Some are 
advocating for the FCC to accelerate parts of this auction, such as by 
expediting when the FCC considers long-form applications and by 
removing census blocks where only one provider has committed to 
deploying gigabit fiber-to-the-premises technology. Is this something 
the FCC should consider and is it feasible?
    Answer. NTCA has long supported policies that enable the deployment 
and sustainability of future-proof networks in rural areas, with the 
most efficient approach being to ``build it right'' the first time and 
then scale capacity as needed to meet increasing consumer demand. We 
greatly appreciate the interest in seeking to promote such outcomes, 
and we look forward to working with members of Congress, the FCC, and 
stakeholders to continue the conversation about how best to ensure that 
the RDOF auction proceeds in a timely and most effective manner and 
ultimately delivers on a shared vision of universal service.

    Question 2. There are active initiatives and programs aimed at 
keeping small businesses in operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
During this time, telecommunications carriers and broadband providers 
have volunteered to not disconnect critical voice and Internet services 
to these small businesses. As Congress examines continued broadband 
connectivity needs amid the pandemic, how can Congress best support 
telecommunications carriers and broadband providers that have 
volunteered to keep small businesses connected during this public 
health emergency?
    Answer. It is critically important that Americans continue to have 
access to broadband services during this pandemic and any future 
emergencies. NTCA and its members understand this, which is exemplified 
by the fact that more than half of all providers who have taken 
Chairman Pai's Keep Americans Connected pledge are NTCA members.
    However, for small, rural providers to keep the Internet lights on 
for our customers, they must have the ability to keep their own lights 
on. With some NTCA members reporting significant losses in revenue due 
to ``uncollectibles'' arising out of customer failures to pay since the 
President declared a national emergency on March 13, the ability for 
small, rural providers to maintain critical broadband services is 
concerning.
    To alleviate such financial pressures on these small businesses, 
and to allow them to sustain voluntary efforts such as those 
contemplated by the FCC Chairman's pledge, NTCA encourages Congress to 
pass the Keeping Critical Connections Act (KCCA) or something 
substantially similar to it. The KCCA would create a temporary disaster 
program to provide critical support to smaller providers that ensure 
that students and low-income individuals maintain access to broadband 
services from the safety of their own homes.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                           Shirley Bloomfield
    Question 1. While I certainly support more Federal resources 
dedicated to the deployment of broadband infrastructure, I think it is 
important for Congress to also gauge the current financial situation of 
the more than 700 broadband providers participating in the FCC's Keep 
Americans Connected Pledge.
    As Congress focuses its attention on improving broadband 
connectivity, particularly with the high-demand for such services in 
this pandemic, how should Congress prioritize funding support to the 
broadband providers that are already shouldering a significant 
financial hardship by putting their customers first and participating 
in the pledge? Is there an estimate of total aggregated costs to date 
of all the waived late fees and uncollected payments to participating 
providers?
    Answer. As of mid-May nearly 60 percent of small, rural broadband 
providers reported that customer account uncollectibles were up by as 
much as 10 percent, and an additional 15 percent reported that 
uncollectible amounts were up between 11 percent and 20 percent.
    Small broadband providers that serve deeply rural areas operate on 
very narrow margins and should therefore be prioritized for support to 
ensure that no customer loses essential broadband access.
    If substantial waves of customers are unable to pay for services 
over the coming months, smaller broadband providers in particular will 
face serious challenges in keeping those Americans connected, paying 
their own employees, and sustaining their operations. This would put at 
risk the connectivity that is so critical for millions of Americans to 
work and learn from home during this crisis.
    At the same time, the financial hardship suffered by small 
providers during the pandemic could also result in decreased ability to 
upgrade networks or participate in new Federal broadband programs such 
as the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.

    Question 2. In terms of legislative solutions, the witness 
testimonies included the ``Stay Connected Voucher Program'' and the 
Keeping Critical Connection Act. How would each of these proposals meet 
the needs of the participating providers? Can these two proposals in 
particular co-exist and complement each other?
    Answer. The Keeping Critical Connections Act (S. 3569/H.R. 6394) is 
bipartisan, narrowly drawn legislation to help broadband providers keep 
customers connected at a time when a reliable broadband connection is 
more essential than ever. The bill would direct the FCC to create a 
temporary emergency fund for reimbursing small broadband providers only 
when an operator provides households with students with free or 
discounted broadband or free upgrades to meet distance learning needs; 
or keeps low-income customers connected who cannot pay their broadband 
bill due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 national emergency.
    Other suggestions such as the Stay Connected Voucher could also be 
helpful, although the mechanics of how support should be provided to 
low-income consumers remain a topic of further discussion to ensure 
that such support is distributed as efficiently as possible. However, 
we ask Congress to keep in mind that the price for broadband service in 
rural areas oftentimes exceeds the $50 voucher or other emergency 
benefit suggested by some. The Keeping Critical Connections Act would 
serve in this case as a necessary complement to the voucher program--
covering the rest of the cost for the full broadband service.
    NTCA is open to all suggestions by Congress and industry to address 
the concerns raised during the recent hearing, and we believe the 
various proposals could complement the legislation introduced by Sens. 
Amy Klobuchar and Kevin Cramer.

    Question 3. These past few weeks, I have been speaking with 
community and business leaders across the state of Kansas to discuss a 
number of Federal policy issues in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 
and while broadband is brought up in almost every conversation, 
connectivity specific to telehealth and remote learning purposes are 
clear priorities to my constituents. Congress took important steps 
aimed to address these issues in the Phase III package, including the 
$200 million to the FCC for a telehealth pilot program and dedicated 
funding to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund 
for ``purchasing educational technology;'' however, I am not sure that 
these steps are enough to address the immediacy of the needs at hand.
    How should Congress prioritize specific-use types, like telehealth 
and remote learning, in its consideration of future Federal broadband 
resources? Do we envision these specific use types providing 
connections to the home of the patient and/or student?
    Answer. Recent weeks have demonstrated the importance of telehealth 
and distance education. These services are not only useful during times 
of crisis. Rather, the benefits enabled by telehealth and distance 
education can have even greater impact when combined with traditional 
in-person patient/physician encounters and in-school learning. Stated 
differently, to not take advantage of these technologies in the future 
when we are not facing a national emergency would be to forego the 
enormous advantages they afford. Areas without access, and potential 
users without the ability to connect, will be left behind.
    Accordingly, policies must support networks that can reach the 
homes, schools and offices of all students and patient-users. Policies 
that focus insufficiently on home connections and instead score as 
``accomplished'' those communities where only anchor institutions are 
connected will deprive residents of the opportunities to access the 
full measure of broadband-enabled benefits. Broadband connections at 
schools are critical to enable rich educational resources, but those 
opportunities must not end with the school day. The ``homework gap'' is 
called the ``homework gap'' for a reason--because it describes the 
chasm between students who have access at home to continue their 
learning when the school day ends, contrasted against those who do. 
Similarly, telemedicine is useful when it enables physicians to consult 
with other experts--but it is necessary, as well, to enable the infirm, 
the elderly, and in these times at-risk patients to interact with 
physicians from the safety of their home. And, certainly in rural areas 
where lack of specialists and distance from medical facilities is 
prevalent, telehealth connectivity can enable patients with chronic 
conditions to maintain continuing care that facilitates better health 
outcomes and, ultimately, lower health care costs.
    In summary, policies should support continuing deployment 
(including ongoing maintenance and support) of broadband to homes 
throughout a community, and those policies should reflect the need for 
users in those homes to access and engage telehealth and remote 
learning resources. Telehealth does not stop at the doctor's office 
door, nor does remote learning hinge upon connectivity at the 
schoolhouse alone.

    Question 4. How do we envision Federal support focused on 
telehealth and remote learning initiatives interacting with more 
comprehensive broadband programs, like USDA's ReConnect and USF's High 
Cost Program, that are more generally focused on providing high-speed 
broadband to the home of rural Americans? Can they be effectively 
coordinated to prevent duplication of Federal spending?
    Answer. Interagency and inter-program coordination is necessary to 
achieve the highest return on Federally-enabled investments. NTCA has 
consistently championed the promise of building networks for the 
future, rather than deploying facilities that meet today's needs 
without contemplating the future. Programs that aim to serve specific 
needs--such as telehealth and remote learning--are incredibly valuable, 
but they can and must be carefully coordinated even within a given 
agency and across agencies to promote coherence and cohesion with other 
policies. For example, the FCC can and should ensure that the high-cost 
and E-Rate programs are working in concert to achieve availability and 
affordability goals rather than racing to deploy duplicative 
connections to certain locations within a given community. Similarly, 
the FCC and RUS must coordinate with one another to ensure that their 
programs enable deployment and sustainability of the best possible 
networks, rather than enabling the construction of two government-
supported networks that will compete with one another in an area where 
a business case for private investment in even just one network was 
lacking. This can indeed be done, but a consistent approach and 
mindfulness to the need to do so is essential.

    Question 5. If Congress were to establish new Federal broadband 
programs that interact with existing Federal programs, should they be 
part of the existing programs like USF or RUS or should they stand 
alone?
    Answer. Congress should look to leverage and build upon the success 
of existing programs at the FCC and RUS that have support the 
deployment and ongoing sustainability of robust, high-capacity networks 
in rural areas throughout the Nation. Where opportunities to develop 
targeted solutions for education, health care or other needs are 
identified, the accomplishments of existing programs can be leveraged 
to support ``value adding'' supplements that enable additional gains 
for those other needs. This coordinated approach will make the most of 
existing programs while enabling focused solutions that increase 
usefulness without the risk of waste or duplication.

    Question 6. Your testimonies made clear that availability of 
personal protective equipment (PPE) for your employees remains a 
critical issue for many of the companies you represent. I have had 
similar conversations with many businesses from other sectors in 
Kansas, and while I understand FEMA has been able to provide PPE to 
your member companies in some situations, what are your member 
companies doing to engage their own supply chains for such equipment?
    Do your trade associations assist your member companies in 
navigating these increasingly complex supply chain concerns?
    Answer. NTCA members are in contact with local, state, and Federal 
authorities regarding access to PPE. Many are securing PPE through 
private companies--some through local lumberyards or other local 
sources and others through nationwide vendors. At the same time, other 
providers, who often reside in states where PPE supplies are in greater 
demand, continue to operate on limited supplies and continue to search 
for a steady supply of equipment such as N95 masks and contactless 
thermometers.
    From the association level, NTCA engages with the government and 
industry on all COVID-19 related issues and responses and shares 
relevant information with members directly and on our website. NTCA has 
also worked closely with FEMA to secure cloth masks, which we are 
shipping directly to our members right now.
                                 ______
                                 
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Shelley Moore Capito to 

                           Shirley Bloomfield
    Question 1. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently 
released their 2020 Broadband Deployment Report which has shown 
progress has been made in connecting our communities across the 
country. However, the report is based off data that we all agree is 
deeply flawed and continues to show that the majority of the unserved 
are in rural areas.
    What are your members doing to keep Americans connected, and 
specifically for rural communities? As states begin to reopen, what 
impacts are your members anticipating in the months to come?
    Answer. I have never been prouder of NTCA's membership than I have 
over the past several months. As ``hometown providers'' based largely 
in the areas they serve, their community commitment in the face of the 
coronavirus pandemic has been heartening. We estimate that more than 
half of the signers of FCC Chairman Pai's pledge to ``Keep Americans 
Connected'' are NTCA members--and, in so many cases because of their 
hometown presence, our members have gone above and beyond the terms of 
the pledge to help their families, friends, and neighbors.
    In West Virginia specifically, Hardy OneNet of Lost River has 
temporarily increased its broadband speeds with no additional charge 
for residential customers.
    Also, as mentioned in my testimony, the following are just a few 
other examples of NTCA members' efforts to get and keep homes, schools, 
libraries, and medical facilities connected in rural America:

  1.  Big Bend Telephone (BBT) (Alpine, Texas): BBT Engineering 
        developed a solution to extend school districts' networks to 
        students' homes in a scaled back temporary installation package 
        that provides synchronous connectivity and basic home Wi-Fi. 
        The student experience completely mimics the classroom without 
        actually being in the classroom. All of this has been provided 
        at no cost to the school district or the students' families.

  2.  Rainbow Communications (Everest, Kan.): Rainbow Communications 
        has installed 30 community Wi-Fi hot spots throughout its 
        service area that provide free Internet access to students. The 
        company also increased the Internet plans at the local 
        libraries to accommodate higher usage demand and has worked 
        with school districts to identify and promote improved access 
        for students in need at home.

  3.  NineStar Connect (Greenfield, Ind.): NineStar Connect connected a 
        COVID-19 triage clinic in just three days--a process which 
        usually takes weeks. NineStar also partnered with the hospital 
        to offer customers e-visits to serve more people and reduce 
        risk of infection.

  4.  Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC) (Brainerd, Minn.): To 
        maintain proper social distancing, CTC created ``Broadband in a 
        Box'' where a CTC technician will complete pre-installation 
        tasks outside of the premises and then leave a self-
        installation kit on the customer's doorstep to allow for 
        completion of the activation work. The standardized kit 
        includes step-by-step instructions on how to complete 
        installation and other helpful resources.

  5.  Scott County Telephone Cooperative (SCTC) (Gate City, Va.): SCTC 
        is upgrading broadband connections for any customer with 
        students and/or teachers in the home. The company is also 
        upgrading any displaced workers for free. Additionally, SCTC 
        set up Wi-Fi at 12 locations to provide free access for school 
        age kids, and available to use by all.

    Question 2. The FCC is preparing for the Rural Digital Opportunity 
Fund (RDOF) Phase 1 Auction and is currently in the pre-auction process 
with bidding expected to begin in October. I believe this is great news 
for rural America and West Virginia. According to the preliminary 
estimates, nearly 128,000 homes and businesses in West Virginia, or 
230,000 individuals, would be eligible for the RDOF support. I know 
Mrs. Bloomfield you mentioned in your testimony that 90 percent of your 
members remain focused on network deployment plans for the year. In 
light of the pandemic, are your companies prepared and planning on 
applying?
    Answer. Yes, our members are currently reviewing the RDOF bidding 
locations. Now more than ever, with so many needing access to the 
digital world, we cannot take our foot off the accelerator with respect 
to broadband deployment. Subject to ensuring that the final auction 
procedures do not hinder bids placed by proven technologies under the 
auspices of a ``technology neutrality'' policy that allows bids by 
unproven technologies at higher performance levels, we expect that--
just as with every other universal service initiative to date--our 
members will engage and be involved in trying to reach neighboring 
communities that have been neglected too long by other providers.

    Question 3. With Americans having to stay home during the pandemic, 
the security of our communications networks is even more critical. What 
are some of the initiatives your members are doing to keep their 
networks secure?
    Answer. Cyberattacks are now so commonplace that all providers must 
have access to threat indicators to protect their network and 
customers. That is why NTCA--The Rural Broadband Association created 
CyberShare--a new cyberthreat information sharing program created 
especially for small broadband companies. CyberShare communicates 
critical information among local and regional telecommunications 
operators.
    Based on a pilot program administered by NTCA in 2019 with funding 
from the National Institute of Hometown Security and Department of 
Homeland Security, CyberShare provides high-quality indicators of 
cyberattacks as well as actionable threat information. Through 
CyberShare, small providers have access to a trusted community that 
allows for collaboration to improve security posture--even if a company 
lacks the resources to hire a dedicated staff member with security 
clearance.
                                 ______
                                 
 Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Richard Blumenthal to 
                           Shirley Bloomfield
    Question 1. Companies in the telecommunications industry differ in 
being able to shoulder the financial pressures of the pandemic. The 
voluntary pledges from carriers to keep Americans connected have played 
a meaningful role helping distressed families; however, these 
commitments and deferments of nonpayment come at a cost to companies. 
Clearly this burden falls more heavily on smaller carriers.
    What programs, support, and other assistance is available to 
protect the competitive telecommunications market as these carriers are 
being asked to keep families and small businesses connected?
    Answer. NTCA--The Rural Broadband Association represents nearly 850 
cooperatives and small businesses deploying broadband infrastructure in 
rural areas across 45 states. To continue delivering critical 
connectivity to more than a third of the Nation's landmass, these 
smaller rural operators must be able to pay suppliers for things like 
routers and fiber. Our members are seeing unprecedented demand for new 
installations, and this takes not only innovation but also the costly 
network supplies needed to put those connections in place. NTCA members 
also need to pay larger national and regional operators for the 
connections between the very rural markets they serve and Internet 
points of presence around the country--these are costs that only grow 
larger in the face of increased network demands. Finally, and most 
importantly, they must pay their own employees--the front-line 
essential workers who are being sent out despite the risks to make sure 
that those without voice and broadband services or those in need of 
upgraded services get such access. As with most small businesses, the 
Paycheck Protection Program is available to address keeping employees 
paid. However, there is no program to address the cost of unpaid 
bills--the revenue from which goes into sustaining service.
    NTCA therefore supports the Keeping Critical Connections Act (S. 
3569/H.R. 6394), which represents bipartisan, narrowly drawn 
legislation to help broadband providers keep customers connected at a 
time when a reliable broadband connection is more essential than ever. 
The bill would direct the FCC to create a temporary emergency fund for 
reimbursing small broadband providers of all kinds--but only when an 
operator provides households with students with free or discounted 
broadband or free upgrades to meet distance learning needs; or keeps 
low-income customers connected who cannot pay their broadband bill due 
to the economic impact of the COVID-19 national emergency.

    Question 2. We should remain vigilant toward protecting competition 
in the telecommunications market during this time. A pandemic and a 
period of financial hardship for competitive carriers should not 
pretext for incumbents and others to hike up prices or stifle 
competition.
    Are you concern about this pandemic lessening competition in the 
telecommunications market? If so, why? Have you seen any indication 
that competitive carriers will have trouble weathering current 
financial pressures?
    Answer. One important factor in the Federal Communications 
Commission's understanding of competition is the ``market failure'' 
nature of many rural areas. Specifically, in many rural areas including 
those served by NTCA members, ``reasonably comparable'' end-user rates 
are not sufficient, standing alone, to cover the costs of paying loans 
that make broadband networks possible in the first instance and to 
maintain and upgrade such networks over the long-term to keep up with 
consumers' needs. It is only via the sufficient and predictable support 
made available through the High-Cost Universal Service Fund Program 
that any operator can make a ``business case'' to buildout and maintain 
high-quality communications networks offering services reasonably 
comparable in terms of quality and price as compared to those found in 
urban areas.
    Our small providers often operate on thin margins. While NTCA 
members continue to do their very best to keep their friends and 
neighbors connected, the ability to sustain these efforts over time is 
jeopardized by the devastating economic impacts of COVID-19. Providers 
are doing all they can to keep the Internet lights on for all, but in 
order to do that, they need to keep their own lights on as well.
    NTCA members report that customers are increasingly raising 
concerns about an inability to pay for their communications services in 
recent weeks; a recent survey of our members found that as of mid-May 
nearly 60 percent of small, rural broadband providers reported that 
customer account uncollectibles were up by as much as 10 percent, and 
an additional 15 percent reported that uncollectible amounts were up 
between 11 percent and 20 percent. To put such impacts into 
perspective, we heard from one rural cooperative who is nearly $60,000 
in the red already in keeping voice and broadband service on for 
customers who have become unable to pay these past several weeks.

    Question 3. Is it fair to expect that incumbent carriers should not 
be increasing rates charged to competitors for services during the 
pandemic and its foreseeable aftermath?
    Answer. NTCA members, who are small broadband providers typically 
locally owned and operated, are not planning to use the pandemic to 
increase rates and charges--they continue to be regulated in many 
aspects of their state and Federal operations, and would need to seek 
regulatory approval to do so. The bigger concern, however, is whether 
these smaller providers can even sustain the services they have in 
place now. We estimate that more than half of the signers of FCC 
Chairman Pai's pledge to ``Keep Americans Connected'' are NTCA 
members--and, in so many cases because of their hometown presence, our 
members have gone above and beyond the terms of the pledge to help 
their families, friends, and neighbors. In the end, whether by pledge 
or by DNA, because they so often live in the small towns and very rural 
areas they serve, NTCA members are simply focused on doing the right 
thing by their customers and communities.
    Conversely, NTCA's rural incumbent providers must continue to pay 
larger national and regional operators for the connections between the 
very rural markets they serve and the middle mile Internet backbone and 
transit capacity during the pandemic and in its foreseeable aftermath. 
These are costs that only grow larger in the face of increased network 
demands.

    Question 4. Aside from financial assistance, is there anything else 
we should be doing to protect competition in the telecommunications 
industry during this time?
    Answer. It is important to ensure that the FCC's Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund (RDOF) delivers on its promises to enable the delivery 
of robust and reliable voice and broadband services over wide swaths of 
rural America for decades to come. Given that the winners in the RDOF 
auction will essentially become the new ``providers of last resort'' in 
areas served for decades by price cap providers, this auction is 
critically important to provide broadband comparable to what is 
available in urban areas and generate competition.
    The FCC voted to adopt final rules for phase one of the RDOF 
reverse auction that would allow certain unproven technologies to seek 
to bid in the highest tiers of the auction. We look forward to further 
review of the final auction procedures that the FCC develops, and we 
hope that they will promote the integrity and effectiveness of the 
auction. We are encouraged by Chairman Pai's reference to `careful 
case-by-case review' of whether certain technologies without a 
meaningful track record of performance at high levels can indeed 
deliver on such promises, as such review of detailed information will 
be essential to ensure that rural Americans will realize the benefit of 
services being promised and that RDOF dollars are well-spent. Rural 
America no longer has the time or patience for empty promises.
    Also, many rural areas are ``market failure'' areas, where 
reasonably comparable consumer rates will not cover the costs of 
repaying loans taken out to build networks and the costs of maintaining 
networks once built. NTCA therefore welcomes a renewed conversation now 
not only on how we get broadband where it is not, but also how we keep 
broadband where it already is--sustaining high-quality voice and 
broadband services at affordable rates for the long-term benefit of 
rural consumers and communities. One part of that conversation is to 
ensure the Universal Service Fund contribution base is modernized to 
better reflect the broadband services it supports.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Kyrsten Sinema to 
                           Shirley Bloomfield
    According to the FCC, only 65 percent of Americans living in rural 
areas have access to broadband. In March 2020, the Broadband DATA Act 
to improve and verify broadband mapping became law.
    We still do not have updated coverage maps, which slows the 
distribution of additional funding to the rural areas that need it?
    Question 1. Do you support using the FCC's Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund rather than developing a new proposal?
    Answer. The FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) represents 
the next era of support for broadband deployment under the High-Cost 
Universal Service Fund Program. RDOF, if executed properly, promises to 
enable the delivery of robust and reliable voice and broadband services 
over wide swaths of rural America for decades to come. Given that the 
winners in the RDOF auction will essentially become the new ``providers 
of last resort'' in areas served for decades by price cap providers, 
this auction is critically important to provide those consumers with 
broadband comparable to what is available in urban areas and generate 
competition.
    Current circumstances highlight how important such connectivity is 
for Americans, as it has become clear that a critical means of allowing 
Americans to work and learn from home using Virtual Private Networks 
and videoconferencing is latency-sensitive and bandwidth-intensive. If 
networks are built that only incrementally improve upon what the larger 
operators make available now, rural consumers might get a brief benefit 
only to find in a few years that they are once again falling behind the 
rest of the country. RDOF prioritizes stronger networks, which should 
go a long way toward fulfilling the mission of universal service both 
now and well into the future.

    Question 2. How do you recommend we address the lack of quality 
maps prior to spending the new funding?
    Answer. The first phase of RDOF will flow only to areas that are 
wholly unserved--these are areas where the maps are not wrong, because 
no one claims to serve there. By contrast, the FCC has specifically 
said they will hold back on sending any funds to places where the maps 
are in doubt, and funds for those areas will flow only after the maps 
are fixed. We believe this careful sequencing helps to address the 
legitimate concerns that have been raised about mapping while getting 
better service to areas where there is no dispute it is needed right 
now.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to 
                             Gene Kimmelman
    Question 1. At Wednesday's hearing, we discussed how millions of 
Americans who are newly eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program or Medicaid due to job losses or reductions in 
income during the pandemic are also eligible for the Lifeline program 
that helps low-income Americans obtain Internet services--but are 
unaware that they can receive this assistance.
    Do you believe that we need Federal guidelines to ensure that low-
income Americans are informed about existing resources to help them 
connect to the internet, and what key factors should be included in any 
such guidelines?
    Answer. Broadband is essential for nearly every facet of daily 
life, yet Lifeline is the only Federal program aimed at ensuring that 
broadband access is affordable. Even before the pandemic caused 
millions of Americans to lose their jobs, only about 40 percent of 
households that were eligible for the Lifeline program subscribed, due 
in part to individuals not knowing that they are eligible. Federal 
agencies must ensure that eligible individuals are given notice of 
their eligibility for this program and guidelines are one way of doing 
this. Guidelines should address: (1) how Federal agencies administering 
benefits programs that make households automatically eligible for 
Lifeline benefits (like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture) can work with each 
other and the Federal Communications Commission to notify eligible 
households of their lifeline eligibility; (2) how Federal agencies can 
also coordinate with state and local authorities, as well as 
organizations supporting low-income individuals; and (3) how eligible 
households can enroll in the Lifeline program through clear and simple 
explanations in multiple languages. These explanations should be given 
to eligible households.

    Question 2. Reports have highlighted the challenges that many 
students of color face in accessing the Internet at home. At the 
hearing, we also discussed my bill with Senators Hirono, Peters, and 
Rosen to help ensure that college students with financial need can 
access Internet services and equipment during the pandemic, which 
includes dedicated funding for students at minority-serving 
institutions.
    Why is addressing these disparities critical to closing the digital 
divide, particularly during the pandemic, and what risks are we facing 
in the absence of action to promote greater access to opportunities 
provided by the internet?
    Answer. Individuals without access to postsecondary education are 
less likely to earn a living wage throughout the course of their lives. 
Ensuring that individuals can complete their postsecondary education is 
key to improving our Nation's economy. However, the pandemic has forced 
most colleges to move classes online, and in many cases, close their 
facilities that provide Internet to students. At the same time, 
minorities are less likely to have access to broadband at home. 
According to the Pew Research Center, only 66 percent of African 
Americans and 61 percent of Hispanics report having broadband at home. 
Thus, it can be more difficult for these students to complete schooling 
without special help accessing the internet.
    Without action to help postsecondary students, and anyone without 
access to broadband, our Nation will never close the digital divide. 
That could mean that our country is split into the haves, and the have-
nots. Millions of people without Internet access will be unable to 
participate in nearly every facet of daily life, including accessing 
online education, working from home, receiving virtual medical care, 
connecting with friends and family, or civically engaging. A key reason 
that many Americans don't have access to broadband at home is 
affordability. If we don't take action to make broadband more 
affordable, we will be unable to promote equal access to the 
opportunities provided by broadband.
                                 ______
                                 
 Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Richard Blumenthal to 
                             Gene Kimmelman
    Question 1. Companies in the telecommunications industry differ in 
being able to shoulder the financial pressures of the pandemic. The 
voluntary pledges from carriers to keep Americans connected have played 
a meaningful role helping distressed families; however, these 
commitments and deferments of nonpayment come at a cost to companies. 
Clearly this burden falls more heavily on smaller carriers.
    What programs, support, and other assistance is available to 
protect the competitive telecommunications market as these carriers are 
being asked to keep families and small businesses connected?
    Answer. Ensuring a competitive broadband marketplace is a key way 
to ensure that broadband is affordable for all Americans. That is why 
our Nation must ensure that small carriers are able to weather this 
storm and continue to provide service after this crisis has ended. At 
the same time, it is incredibly important that we keep families 
connected during this COVID-19 crisis. After all, the Internet is 
essential for all facets of life while staying at home. That is why the 
FCC has asked carriers to adhere to the Keep Americans Connected pledge 
throughout the summer--this pledge would preclude carriers from 
shutting off service to those who can't pay their bills because of the 
pandemic. Currently, there is relatively little assistance available 
for small carriers. Some smaller carriers, as small businesses, are 
eligible for Paycheck Protection Program loans, which can help keep 
their businesses afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also 
proposed legislation, the Keeping Critical Connections Act (S. 3569), 
that would reimburse small Internet providers for offering discounted 
service to needy students, or for maintaining service to households 
that are unable to pay their bills because of the crisis.

    Question 2. We should remain vigilant toward protecting competition 
in the telecommunications market during this time. A pandemic and a 
period of financial hardship for competitive carriers should not 
pretext for incumbents and others to hike up prices or stifle 
competition.
    Are you concern about this pandemic lessening competition in the 
telecommunications market? If so, why? Have you seen any indication 
that competitive carriers will have trouble weathering current 
financial pressures?
    Answer. Yes, I am very concerned about a less competitive 
marketplace after this pandemic ends. Smaller carriers have less money 
on hand to keep struggling customers connected without payment, and 
there are many reports of smaller carriers worrying about being able to 
stay afloat through the COVID-19 pandemic. We must support the ability 
of these carriers to weather the current storm so that they can 
continue to serve their customers and provide competition in the 
telecommunications marketplace. Many competitive carriers offer fiber 
in communities that larger carriers won't serve because these areas are 
not profitable enough (Comments of Incompas and the Northwest 
Telecommunications Assn, WC Docket No. 19-308, Feb. 5 2020). In other 
areas, these providers offer consumers a competitive option with lower 
prices and/or better customer service. If these carriers go out of 
business, then consumers will be left with little or no choice in 
broadband service.

    Question 3. Is it fair to expect that incumbent carriers should not 
be increasing rates charged to competitors for services during the 
pandemic and its foreseeable aftermath?
    Answer. Many competitive providers rely upon incumbent providers 
for access to infrastructure. By raising rates on the competition 
during a pandemic, incumbent carriers may speed up the dissolution of 
these businesses. That could leave many Americans without competitive 
options, or without access to broadband altogether, and is not 
acceptable. This could be exacerbated in the long term if the Federal 
Communications Commission moves forward with its Unbundled Network 
Elements proceeding. Evidence shows that precluding competitive 
providers from accessing unbundled network elements would prevent them 
from entering into new markets, leaving consumers with little or no 
choice in providers, and harm the deployment of competitive fiber 
networks.
    If telecommunications were regulated as a Title II service, the 
Federal Communications Commission could hold carriers to charging just 
enough to get a ``reasonable rate of return'' (47 U.S.C. 201(b)). 
Without this safeguard, incumbents may try to make up the shortfall in 
profits from customers unable to pay their bills by increasing rental 
fees for infrastructure from competitive carriers. Currently, incumbent 
carriers are not prevented from increasing rates either by competition 
or by regulation--and consequently, may freely price out existing 
competition.

    Question 4. Aside from financial assistance, is there anything else 
we should be doing to protect competition in the telecommunications 
industry during this time?
    Answer. Promoting competition is about more than providing 
financial assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. It's about using 
Federal funds to promote competition from the get-go. The government 
should direct more funding towards open-access infrastructure, which 
can be used by incumbent and competitive providers. In addition, by 
directing funding to community broadband projects, Congress can create 
competition where there is none. This will ensure more choice for 
consumers.
    In addition, Congress should also direct the FCC to prohibit all 
types of exclusive agreements between landlords and providers because 
they unjustly limit consumer choice. For example, landlords should not 
be able to enter into revenue-sharing agreements with broadband 
providers because such agreements incentivize the owners to allow only 
one communications provider to service their tenants.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Kyrsten Sinema to 
                             Gene Kimmelman
    Question. Arizonans across the state rely on local libraries for 
vital services during this crisis. Libraries support Arizonans with 
distance learning, teleworking, and helping vulnerable populations 
access necessities like food and health information.
    In Arizona, some libraries have added outside antennas and boosted 
their Wi-Fi so residents can park in the library parking lots and 
access free Wi-Fi hotspots.
    How can Congress further the work of libraries during this time?
    Answer. Many without access to broadband at home rely upon 
libraries to connect, and Congress should promote policies that enable 
and promote libraries to serve their communities. The FCC has allowed 
schools and libraries to offer E-Rate funded Wi-Fi networks to patrons 
on the premises while the library is closed during the pandemic. 
However, it is often not practical, or even possible, for library 
patrons to sit in a parking lot to take virtual classes, work remotely, 
or receive virtual medical care. Congress must do more.
    The first thing that Congress can do to further the work of 
libraries during the pandemic is to pass the Emergency Educational 
Connections Act of 2020 (S. 3690), which will enable library patrons 
without access to broadband to connect at home through the use of Wi-Fi 
hotspots, modems and/or routers. Congress can ensure more reliable 
connectivity by modifying the E-Rate program to allow schools and 
libraries to use their E-Rate funded connectivity to provide backhaul 
to community members throughout the pandemic, and ideally into the 
long-term. Additionally, Congress could promote connectivity on tribal 
lands by expanding the entities on tribal lands that are eligible to 
receive E-Rate funding because they function like a library. Congress 
should also continue to fund digital equity initiatives, many of which 
are spearheaded by libraries. These programs ensure that everyone has 
the skills and devices they need to access broadband.
    Furthermore, Congress should adopt policies that ensure that it is 
as easy for libraries to provide patrons with access to books and other 
materials digitally as it is with physical copies. When libraries own 
copies of physical books, they can lend them freely, but e-books and 
other materials are often subject to licensing restrictions that make 
them much more costly and limited than print books ever were. While 
many libraries have introduced ``controlled digital lending'' programs 
to lend a digital copy of a book in place of a print book, Congress can 
do more to enhance the ability of libraries to provide their patrons 
with access to books and other materials in the digital age.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Roger Wicker to 
                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question. In October, the FCC is expected to begin the first phase 
of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. Some are advocating for 
the FCC to accelerate parts of this auction, such as by expediting when 
the FCC considers long-form applications and by removing census blocks 
where only one provider has committed to deploying gigabit fiber-to-
the-premises technology. Is this something the FCC should consider and 
is it feasible?
    Answer. The FCC should not consider expediting parts of the Rural 
Digital Opportunity Fund auction to advantage one segment of potential 
bidders. While our members share your commitment for getting the Rural 
Digital Opportunity Fund implemented, it is imperative that the FCC 
stick with the original October RDOF auction schedule for ALL bidders, 
which in turn will allow it to make millions of locations available for 
bid, and ultimately served by broadband. The FCC still has very 
important work to do between now and October to ensure that the auction 
is a success; adding in an expedited phase for the benefit of only a 
limited number of potential bidders threatens the greater success of 
the auction, and may serve only to delay it.
    Before the auction can begin the FCC must resolve challenges to the 
eligible areas and publish the final list of eligible areas; allow time 
for all bidders to devise their bidding strategy against the final set 
of eligible areas; establish a date and process for short form 
applications, review the applications, allow for corrections where 
deficient; and complete a mock auction to allow for a smooth and 
successful auction. The potential harms from the significant delay to 
the rest of the Phase I auction, and the millions of Americans who will 
be involved in that, far outweigh the limited benefits of accelerating 
the program for a select few.
    In addition to these procedural challenges, removing certain census 
blocks from the RDOF auction will result in many areas not being 
subject to the competitive pressures of a reserve auction. There is no 
doubt that accelerating the process means that some providers who would 
be ready to bid in October as planned will not have that opportunity. 
This means taxpayers are on the hook for more money per location than 
would have been necessary and it means less money--millions and 
potentially billions--is available to serve additional locations that 
taxpayers will be asked to pay for later.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. John Thune to 
                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question. Most, if not all, of your companies have committed to the 
FCC's broadband pledge. Why do you think this pledge should remain 
voluntary and not be codified?
    Answer. USTelecom members are committed to meeting the broadband 
needs of the communities and enterprises they serve. Our companies were 
among the first to commit to maintaining connectivity for customers 
facing financial hardships caused by the national health emergency and 
will strive to meet the broadband needs of all their customers going 
forward. With that said, we firmly believe that the pledge should 
remain voluntary. Codifying the pledge would put unnecessary 
constraints on the very sector that is keeping our economy going, and 
limit our members' ability to have flexibility to work directly with 
their customers. In today's highly competitive broadband market, our 
members have every incentive to work with their customers to retain 
them. Codifying the pledge is an unnecessary burden at a time when 
carriers are responding not only to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to 
the growing demands our networks face as more of our economy moves 
online.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roy Blunt to 
                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question 1. The broadband funding being provided through CARES and 
other potential legislation would be on top of funding already provided 
through the FCC's universal service programs, the RUS ReConnect 
program, and other state programs.
    How can we ensure that this funding is coordinated so that it goes 
to places that need it most instead of duplicating or overbuilding 
other efforts?
    Answer. First, Congress can start by funding the Broadband DATA 
Act, which the President signed into law earlier this year. While the 
Act calls on the FCC to develop a targeted national map of broadband 
availability, the bill did not provide any source of funding to do so. 
Detailed, targeted maps provide policymakers and regulators a clear 
picture on where to direct limited broadband funding, putting Federal 
dollars to their most efficient use. Second, all Federal Government 
entities, and, to the extent possible, state governments, should use 
the map to direct and influence policy so there is one consistent tool 
for ensuring all government funding is coordinated, eliminating 
overbuilding and closing the digital divide.

    Question 2. Back in January, I wrote to FCC Chairman Pai expressing 
concern about the Letter of Credit issue being imposed by the FCC for 
all Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction winners.
    In light of the COVID-19 crisis and access to capital drying up, 
can you provide us an update on where things stand with the Letter of 
Credit requirement?
    Answer. First, thank you, Senator Blunt, for continuing to follow 
up on this important issue along with so many of your colleagues in the 
Senate. The Letter of Credit requirement is an impediment for every 
broadband provider interested in participating in the RDOF. We are 
happy that the FCC modified the Letter of Credit requirement in its 
final rules, but as capital markets continue to dry up during the 
COVID-19 crisis, the FCC should consider providing further 
modifications to ensure the RDOF auction is a success.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jerry Moran to 
                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question 1. While I certainly support more Federal resources 
dedicated to the deployment of broadband infrastructure, I think it is 
important for Congress to also gauge the current financial situation of 
the more than 700 broadband providers participating in the FCC's Keep 
Americans Connected Pledge.
    As Congress focuses its attention on improving broadband 
connectivity, particularly with the high-demand for such services in 
this pandemic, how should Congress prioritize funding support to the 
broadband providers that are already shouldering a significant 
financial hardship by putting their customers first and participating 
in the pledge? Is there an estimate of total aggregated costs to date 
of all the waived late fees and uncollected payments to participating 
providers?
    Answer. USTelecom members participated in the FCC's Keep Americans 
Connected Pledge because keeping customers connected is the right thing 
to do. That said, there are real world costs to doing so. As our member 
companies continue to calculate the total pledge-related cost, it is 
clear that Congress should avoid mandates to ensure service providers 
have sufficient flexibility to work with their customers to maintain 
service going forward. Congress should also continue to examine near 
and long-term solutions to ensure that broadband is available and 
affordable for all Americans.

    Question 2. In terms of legislative solutions, the witness 
testimonies included the ``Stay Connected Voucher Program'' and the 
Keeping Critical Connection Act. How would each of these proposals meet 
the needs of the participating providers? Can these two proposals in 
particular co-exist and complement each other?
    Answer. We appreciate Congress continuing to look for ways to 
ensure broadband remains available for customers. There are likely ways 
that different approaches can complement one another. Providers are 
currently assessing the mounting costs related to the FCC's Keep 
Americans Connected Pledge and the impact of COVID-19 on their 
businesses. In my opening statement, I discussed our member company 
SmartCity, who has experienced an 85 percent loss in revenue. There is 
no guarantee that SmartCity or many other service providers will ever 
recover those types of losses. However, the greater impact of these 
losses on the country as a whole is a reduction in the resources needed 
to deploy broadband deeper into the far reaches of the Nation. 
USTelecom encourages Congress to ensure that FCC high-cost support 
programs such as the RDOF, ACAM, and legacy rate-of-return remain on 
their current timetable for deployment and have the necessary resources 
and certainty to continue closing the digital divide.
    In addition, as stated in a recent letter I sent to Congress, along 
with my counterparts at seven communications associations, we stand 
ready to work with Congress to ensure consumers are able to afford 
their broadband service. Regardless of the mechanism, whether through 
an emergency or Lifeline-like program, USTelecom appreciates that there 
are different options to provide support to consumers in need for 
broadband connectivity. Congress should ensure wireline technology is 
included and any program is easy to administer to ensure participation 
and success.

    Question 3. These past few weeks, I have been speaking with 
community and business leaders across the state of Kansas to discuss a 
number of Federal policy issues in response to the COVID19 pandemic, 
and while broadband is brought up in almost every conversation, 
connectivity specific to telehealth and remote learning purposes are 
clear priorities to my constituents. Congress took important steps 
aimed to address these issues in the Phase III package, including the 
$200 million to the FCC for a telehealth pilot program and dedicated 
funding to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund 
for ``purchasing educational technology;'' however, I am not sure that 
these steps are enough to address the immediacy of the needs at hand.
    How should Congress prioritize specific-use types, like telehealth 
and remote learning, in its consideration of future Federal broadband 
resources? Do we envision these specific use types providing 
connections to the home of the patient and/or student?
    Answer. Ensuring access to broadband for our students and 
healthcare providers has never been more important than now. The best 
way we can ensure adequate access to broadband is for Congress to 
prioritize funding to enable universal connectivity in multiple 
formats. It is generally helpful to use the structures of existing 
programs but Congress should also give the implementing agency, like 
the FCC, the flexibility to move quickly and efficiently to distribute 
the funding to meet the Congressional goal, much as it did with 
telehealth funding in the CARES Act.

    Question 4. How do we envision Federal support focused on 
telehealth and remote learning initiatives interacting with more 
comprehensive broadband programs, like USDA's ReConnect and USF's High 
Cost Program, that are more generally focused on providing high-speed 
broadband to the home of rural Americans? Can they be effectively 
coordinated to prevent duplication of Federal spending?
    Answer. Telehealth and distance learning applications cannot be 
enabled without connectivity. A rising tide raises all ships. First, 
Congress should commit to providing the necessary funding to finally 
close the digital divide. An important part of that effort is funding 
the Broadband DATA Act, which calls on the FCC to develop a targeted 
national map of broadband availability. A detailed targeted map will 
give providers, policymakers and regulators a clear picture on where to 
direct broadband funding. Better targeting the resources of programs 
such as the Connect America Fund, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and 
ReConnect will undoubtedly improve access to telehealth and remote 
learning education opportunities via broadband.

    Question 5. If Congress were to establish new Federal broadband 
programs that interact with existing Federal programs, should they be 
part of the existing programs like USF or RUS or should they stand 
alone?
    Answer. Back in March of this year I wrote to FCC Chairman Pai 
sharing some of USTelecom's recommendations on how the FCC along with 
help from Congress can better ensure that consumers, businesses, 
healthcare providers, and students can remain connected not just during 
this pandemic, but after this pandemic as well.
    In my letter, I recommended that Congress authorize a one-time 
infusion of funds to ensure that all service providers can rapidly 
augment their existing infrastructure to support non-traditional usage 
demands, including funds to augment backhaul to prevent congestion. 
USTelecom strongly believes that leveraging the existing the Rural 
Digital Opportunity Fund and its reverse-auction mechanism would best 
ensure that the funding gets to the consumers who need it the most the 
fastest.

    Question 6. Your testimonies made clear that availability of 
personal protective equipment (PPE) for your employees remains a 
critical issue for many of the companies you represent. I have had 
similar conversations with many businesses from other sectors in 
Kansas, and while I understand FEMA has been able to provide PPE to 
your member companies in some situations, what are your member 
companies doing to engage their own supply chains for such equipment?
    Do your trade associations assist your member companies in 
navigating these increasingly complex supply chain concerns?
    Answer. The communications sector has proven to be amongst the most 
critical during this pandemic and many of our employees are on the 
front lines, directly interfacing with customers or even entering their 
homes. We can only protect our workers through proper PPE, and it 
remains difficult to source for our front line workers. USTelecom has 
been and continues to be actively engaged in communications with our 
members and recently completed a Covid 19 survey that provided 
important insights into where PPE constraints were most challenging. 
The area of primary and immediate concern right now is the availability 
of gloves and hand sanitizers and other hygienic products. Through 
USTelecom chairmanship the Communications Sector Coordinating Council 
(CSCC), we have been working closely with DHS and FEMA to secure and 
distribute approximately 1 million masks to broadband providers around 
the country. We would welcome Congress's continued focus on making PPE 
available to our front line telecommunication employees, especially in 
instances where supplies on the open market are not readily available.
                                 ______
                                 
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Shelley Moore Capito to 

                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question 1. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently 
released their 2020 Broadband Deployment Report which has shown 
progress has been made in connecting our communities across the 
country. However, the report is based off data that we all agree is 
deeply flawed and continues to show that the majority of the unserved 
are in rural areas. What are your members doing to keep Americans 
connected, and specifically for rural communities?
    Answer. The first thing Congress needs to do is ensure better and 
more accurate maps by funding the Broadband DATA Act. Completing the 
broadband maps will help us take a giant step toward identifying those 
locations that have no broadband service, estimating the costs to 
provide it and allocating resources appropriately. We need Congress to 
fund the maps today to start the projects of tomorrow.
    USTelecom members were among the first to commit to maintaining 
connectivity during this time, even when customers are faced with 
financial hardships, and we will continue to do so. I could not be more 
proud of the efforts our providers are making during these times. Many 
of our members are providing free hot-spots to students to complete 
their work; providing free or reduced home broadband access to 
households with students, and, where possible, expediting their 
broadband deployment to unserved rural homes thanks to programs such as 
the Universal Service Fund.

    Question 2. As states begin to reopen, what impacts are your 
members anticipating in the months to come?
    Answer. Internet connectivity has proven to be a crucial resource 
during this pandemic and we expect to continue to see shifts in traffic 
over the networks. And there is still more to be done to ensure all 
Americans are connected. First, Congress should commit to providing the 
necessary funding to finally close the digital divide. That includes 
committing the resources it will take to serve even the hardest to 
reach parts of West Virginia. A central element to that effort is 
developing a targeted national broadband map that identifies where 
broadband is available, and where it is not. Congress wisely passed the 
Broadband DATA Act, which calls on the FCC to develop a national 
detailed targeted broadband map. Congress must now fund that bill to 
give providers, policymakers and regulators a clear picture on where to 
direct broadband funding. With adequate funding and by better targeting 
the resources of existing programs such as the Connect America Fund, 
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and ReConnect program, we can connect 
every American with high speed broadband service.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Todd Young to 
                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question 1. Mr. Spalter, what more can Congress do to close the so 
called homework gap and ensure Hoosier students have broadband access 
for distance learning?
    Answer. Ensuring access to broadband for students is more important 
than ever, and USTelecom companies welcome congressional action that 
addresses closing the homework gap.
    In March, I wrote to the FCC encouraging the Commission to take a 
hard look at modifying the E-rate program for this pandemic. The FCC 
and Congress could target funding to low-income or unemployed consumers 
or emergency programs specifically designed to target support to 
students. All options should be on the table and we are actively 
involved in discussions across the spectrum of stakeholders including 
Congress and the FCC to help close the homework gap.

    Question 2. I have heard from Hoosier constituents that are closely 
watching--and in many cases planning to participate in the upcoming 
RDOF Phase 1 auction. Some have shared with us concerns about 
challenges filed with the FCC that, if accepted, could remove some 
blocks from eligibility of Phase 1 of the auction.
    Mr. Spalter, how do you think the FCC should deal with these claims 
of service in order to get it right for these communities that have 
been waiting years for robust broadband while also ensuring RDOF phase 
1 gets off the ground in a timely manner?
    Answer. We all understand that our current broadband mapping 
process is flawed, leaving many locations ineligible for funding 
because a single home in a census block has broadband. As a result, 
many Americans are left without connectivity.
    Congress wisely passed the Broadband DATA Act, which instructed the 
FCC to build a broadband map that is clear and accurate. Congress 
should complete that effort and provide the funding necessary to 
produce the map. Once the map is complete, we will have a means of 
distributing support on a targeted basis to the very households that 
are most in need.

    Question 3. Is there a greater mapping issue at hand here?
    Answer. Yes, absolutely this is a mapping issue. Congress passed 
the Broadband DATA Act but never provided the FCC the funding to 
implement it. The FCC estimates it needs $65 million to complete the 
maps, and Congress should appropriate the funds immediately so we can 
get to work connecting all Americans.

    Question 4. This pandemic has certainly underscored the need to 
explore any and all strategies that increase broadband access to as 
many rural and underserved areas as quickly as possible. One strategy 
that has been proposed is network virtualization and the move to an 
open, modular approach to telecommunications that will change supply 
chain dynamics in ways that favor the United States. We can improve 
broadband access and increase network security by prioritizing research 
and development in innovations such as O-RAN.
    Mr. Spalter, how important is it that the United States steps up 
its investment in R&D? What role should the Federal Government play in 
the development and transition to this open architecture approach?
    Answer. Funding R&D for modern communications network equipment is 
critically important for the U.S. to maintain our position as a global 
leader. These technological innovations will improve broadband access 
significantly--including for rural and underserved communities--while 
increasing security for everyone.
    Additionally, by developing and standardizing O-RAN interfaces, we 
move to an environment where networks can be deployed without being 
dependent upon a single vendor. O-RAN will make the United States 
supply chain more secure by increasing supplier diversity, market 
competition, and opportunities for business innovation, protecting both 
the economic and national security interest of the United States.
    The Federal Government's role in funding research and transitioning 
to an open architecture approach is critically important. But the 
Federal Government should also endorse market-based open interoperable 
solution and use Federal funds to support supplier diversity and 
support global deployment of interoperable 5G. Additionally, the 
Federal Government can remove barriers to 5G deployment, and avoid 
heavy-handed or prescriptive solutions. Finally, I encourage Congress 
to continue to support our government's participation in the 
international standards-development process.
                                 ______
                                 
 Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Richard Blumenthal to 
                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question 1. Companies in the telecommunications industry differ in 
being able to shoulder the financial pressures of the pandemic. The 
voluntary pledges from carriers to keep Americans connected have played 
a meaningful role helping distressed families; however, these 
commitments and deferments of nonpayment come at a cost to companies. 
Clearly this burden falls more heavily on smaller carriers.
    What programs, support, and other assistance is available to 
protect the competitive telecommunications market as these carriers are 
being asked to keep families and small businesses connected?
    Answer. USTelecom members participated in the FCC's Keep Americans 
Connected Pledge because keeping customers connected is their business 
and it is the right thing to do. The voluntary pledge has proven 
successful with providers working closely with their customers to 
maintain service. That said, there are real world costs to doing so.
    We are pleased Congress continues to look for ways to ensure 
broadband remains available for customers and that providers have the 
opportunity to expand and grow their networks. While the industry at 
large remains on solid financial footing, individual providers are 
facing mounting costs related to the impact of COVID-19. In my opening 
statement, I shared the story of our member company SmartCity, who has 
experienced an 85 percent loss in revenue. There is no guarantee that 
SmartCity or other similar service providers will ever recover those 
losses.
    As stated in a recent letter I sent to Congress, along with seven 
communications industry CEO colleagues, we stand ready to work with 
Congress to ensure consumers are able to afford their broadband 
service. Whether through an emergency or Lifeline-like program, 
Congress should ensure wireline technology is included and any program 
is easy to administer to ensure participation and success.

    Question 2. We should remain vigilant toward protecting competition 
in the telecommunications market during this time. A pandemic and a 
period of financial hardship for competitive carriers should not 
pretext for incumbents and others to hike up prices or stifle 
competition.
    Are you concern about this pandemic lessening competition in the 
telecommunications market? If so, why? Have you seen any indication 
that competitive carriers will have trouble weathering current 
financial pressures?
    Answer. The competitive broadband market has not changed. This 
pandemic continues to highlight the need, benefits of investing in, and 
maintaining robust broadband networks. I am proud USTelecom members 
wisely invested billions annually in their network infrastructure 
leading up to this crisis. Those investments are the reason why U.S. 
carriers continue to meet the increased demands during this time and 
why competition remains robust in the broadband market.

    Question 3. Is it fair to expect that incumbent carriers should not 
be increasing rates charged to competitors for services during the 
pandemic and its foreseeable aftermath?
    Answer. Competitive providers and USTelecom members alike must work 
through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 
it is important that Congress and regulators recognize USTelecom 
members have the added responsibility and expense of addressing the 
growing demands on our network infrastructure as more of our economy 
moves online.

    Question 4. Aside from financial assistance, is there anything else 
we should be doing to protect competition in the telecommunications 
industry during this time?
    Answer. USTelecom and our members vigorously support a competitive 
marketplace. With the proliferation of competition among broadband 
providers who invest heavily in infrastructure comes a need to reassess 
the application of regulations to ensure all providers are competing on 
a level playing field. You may be surprised to learn that in many 
cases, USTelecom members have less than a ten percent share of the 
broadband market, but continue to be regulated like a dominant carrier.
    While consumers are benefiting from vibrant competition and 
significant network investments through faster speeds, lower prices and 
innovative services, some providers are trying to use regulatory 
arbitrage to maintain unfair competitive advantages.
    It is important that Congress and the FCC promote competition, 
rather than seek government interventions that artificially subsidize 
and prioritize one category of providers.
    More immediately, we urge Congress to appropriate the necessary 
funds authorized in the Broadband DATA Act to finance the deployment of 
comprehensive broadband maps. The beneficiaries of better maps will 
ultimately be consumers, as bidders for Federal universal services 
program support will know with pinpoint accuracy not only where 
broadband has been deployed, but also where it has NOT yet been 
deployed. Better and more accurate maps will encourage more potential 
bidders to participate in future auctions, and hence encourage 
competition.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Edward Markey to 
                            Jonathan Spalter
    Question. We should remain vigilant toward protecting competition 
in the telecommunications market during this time. Are any of your five 
largest members raising prices, or proposing to raise prices, to any 
carrier customers during this crisis? Is it fair to expect that 
incumbent carriers should not be increasing rates charged to 
competitors for services during the pandemic and its foreseeable 
aftermath?
    Answer. The competitive broadband market has not changed as a 
result of the pandemic. This pandemic continues to highlight the need, 
benefits of investing in, and maintaining robust broadband networks. I 
am proud USTelecom members wisely invested billions annually in their 
network infrastructure leading up to this crisis. Those investments are 
the reason why U.S. carriers continue to meet the increased demands 
during this time and why competition remains robust in the broadband 
market. Competitive providers and USTelecom members alike must work 
through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 
it is important that Congress and regulators recognize USTelecom 
members have the added responsibility and expense of addressing the 
growing demands on our network infrastructure as more of our economy 
moves online.

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