[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 56 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E725-E726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACCELERATION ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2007

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I 
introduce, along with Representatives Phil English and Mike Thompson, 
the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act of 2007. This legislation 
will allow immediate depreciation of the costs of new broadband 
infrastructure investments, speeding the deployment of broadband 
communications technology. The U.S. currently lags far behind many 
other industrialized nations in broadband deployment. At a time when 
America's global economic leadership is facing rising challenges from 
abroad, this bill will promote innovation and keep America competitive.
  By increasing the reach and capability of America's broadband 
network, the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act is a strategic 
investment that will benefit the education of our children, the 
delivery of health care and the overall economy. In the classroom, 
broadband will provide children and teachers with access to new 
information and learning tools, and allow for remote learning 
opportunities. At hospitals and doctors' offices, broadband will 
facilitate the application of information technology to health care, 
reducing costs and improving the quality of care that patients receive. 
Broadband will also increase productivity and efficiency in homes and 
at businesses, while giving our constituents access to information and 
communications capabilities as never before. The need for the Broadband 
Deployment Acceleration Act is clear and now is the time for Congress 
to act.
  Similar legislation received broad bipartisan support in the past, 
with as many as 225 House cosponsors and 65 Senate cosponsors. This 
bill was an important priority for my late husband, who worked along 
with Mr. English, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Baucus, and the late 
Senator Moynihan to craft it in 2000. It passed the Senate three times, 
only to be stripped out in conference by the House. I wish that our 
constituents were already benefiting from the effects of this 
legislation, and we should not delay enactment any longer.
  The Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act will provide a temporary, 
two-tiered tax incentive to stimulate new investment in this crucial 
infrastructure: 50 percent expensing for investment in ``current-
generation'' broadband infrastructure in rural and underserved areas, 
and full expensing for ``next generation'' broadband investments in 
those same areas, as well as residential areas generally. The purpose 
of this mechanism is to push broadband providers to roll out services 
in areas and at speeds that would not be economically feasible in the 
absence of this legislation. Therefore, this bill will not reward 
action that is already occurring.

[[Page E726]]

  To facilitate that goal, the Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act it 
is designed to be technology neutral, making delivery of service, not 
the delivery medium, the factor for eligibility. This will ensure that 
this tax incentive does not inhibit competition among broadband 
providers, thereby maximizing choice for consumers. Any broadband 
provider meeting the required speeds, measured in megabits of data 
delivered to and from the consumer per second, is eligible, whether 
such service is provided over telephone wire, cable modem, optical 
fiber, wireless, satellite, or other forms of technology.
  It is past time that Congress took action to ensure that all 
Americans have access to broadband communications technology. The 
Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act is a practical and effective 
mechanism that will help provide our constituents access to this 
important technology. I hope that my colleagues will support this 
legislation to bolster the innovation and competitiveness of this 
Nation.

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