[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 38 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E448-E449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RURAL BROADBAND ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 29, 2000

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join Representative Stupak 
today as an original cosponsor of the Rural Broadband Enhancement Act 
(RBEA). This legislation will ensure rural America not be by-passed as 
high speed Internet access spreads across the urban areas of our 
nation.
  The Rural Broadband Enhancement Act will authorize $3 billion in low-
interest loans over the next five years to finance the construction of 
the needed broadband infrastructure in rural communities. These loans 
would be repayable over 30 years at two percent interest. The program 
would be administered through the Department of Agriculture's Rural 
Utility Service, and is considered company neutral and technology 
neutral, so that entities from regional Bells to rural cooperatives to 
cable or satellite companies would be able to serve these communities 
with the best suited technology. The Rural Broadband Enhancement Act is 
modeled on the Rural Electrification Act which helped light up America 
when it was enacted more than 60 years ago.
  We are all well aware that the Internet is now more than just a 
source of entertainment. Today people use the Internet to access a 
variety of information, from how to buy a car to the latest trends in 
the stock market to researching job opportunities or accessing college 
applications. The Internet is virtually limitless in the variety of 
information available, and for rural communities, broadband capability 
has the potential to provide an unprecedented opportunity to overcome 
the traditional geographic disadvantages.
  Access to advanced telecommunications services will be an important 
component to further economic development opportunities in rural 
America. High-speed Internet is rapidly transforming every facet of 
business and industry. Economic opportunities will migrate to those 
areas of the country that can provide the necessary infrastructure to 
host them. We must make a strong federal commitment to support the 
deployment of advanced telecommunications services. Only with adequate 
support will we be able to stimulate facility investment necessary to 
deploy advanced services throughout rural areas. We must not let the 
digital divide isolate our rural communities.

[[Page E449]]

  I look forward to working with Representative Stupak and my other 
colleagues to help pass this legislation.

                          ____________________