[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 186 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6704-S6705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Internet Exchange Act
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, it is so interesting to be here on the
floor and to hear such a variety of ideas and to know that, across the
country, people are logging on and they are tuning in and they are
watching how we go about our business. And one of the things that is so
interesting as we pull the Internet and online activity into our lives
and stay connected, we sometimes enjoy the idea of just ``unplugging''
for a weekend, going to somewhere in the country that holds a really
special appeal. Certainly at this time of year, people will talk about
going away for Thanksgiving, or maybe they went away during the fall to
look at pretty leaves.
They see it as an escape and maybe even an opportunity to get just a
little bit of smugness in their tone when they talk about how they have
chosen a destination that has politely informed them to not expect WiFi
and not to expect that Internet connection.
But here is a question for you: How many would make that trip, but
still knowing there is not that connection, they take the smartphone,
the iPad, or the laptop anyway? Of course, we know we all do that.
After all, we have been trained to respond to the buzzing, beeping,
and the ringing of our device, and so eventually, what happens is we
give up and we start wandering around, searching for a signal, and then
declaring to all of the very unimpressed locals: Well, I don't see how
y'all do it without being able to have access to high-speed Internet.
How can you survive without broadband?
Well, to my colleagues, let me say this: They do it because they do
not have a choice. You know, these days, encountering so much as a
spotty cell signal causes concern for those of us who are accustomed to
high-speed Internet and broadband connectivity, but I will tell you
there are millions of Americans out there for whom a broadband
connection or even the pop and hiss of a dialup connection is
completely out of reach.
In a world where even simple online interactions require lightning
fast connections, economies in rural America are falling behind. We
read every day about entire industries setting up shop in budding
metropolises like Nashville, TN, but to many, corporate America's
glowing new hubs sound like remote outposts compared to the familiar
crush that is here on the eastern seaboard.
Our perspective is skewed. Even so, businesses move inward because
they see potential for growth with minimal risk, but there is only so
far that they can push it. Rural communities do not have much to offer
in terms of operational support or a reliable customer base, and most
of them lack a crucial resource: the funding and infrastructure to back
reliable broadband services.
It is true, ``the cloud'' needs a physical connection to Planet
Earth, and broadband networks rely on physical ``Internet Exchange''
points. Without these hubs, subscribers of different Internet providers
cannot communicate with one another.
While many businesses are certainly capable of fronting the costs
associated with building the actual exchange points and running
connections to other hubs, there is no incentive for them to gamble on
a stagnant economy, so they go elsewhere, and local businesses go
nowhere, unable to expand into the global online marketplace.
And just to think, a decade ago, we wasted an opportunity to bridge
the digital divide, to even close the digital divide. Back in 2009,
during the stimulus days, President Obama signed an economic recovery
package that included 7.2 billion, $7.2 billion to expand broadband
services in underserved areas.
Well, predictably, those dollars began to flow into urban and
suburban areas, leaving rural communities stranded on the far side of a
gulf that Washington had ended up widening. Mistakes were made, but it
would be an even bigger mistake to make rural residents suffer through
it.
This year, I introduced the bipartisan Internet Exchange Act in an
effort to get the Senate talking about broadband accessibility. When
passed, the bill will offset the start-up cost of establishing
broadband connections via a series of grants reserved exclusively for
unserved rural areas. That is unserved rural areas, those that have
been left out, those that did not benefit
[[Page S6705]]
from the $7.2 billion that President Obama put in the stimulus for
broadband expansion.
They did not get any of that money. They got left further behind and
pushed further out of the economic mainstream for the 21st century. As
with any program, infrastructure alone is no guarantee of success, but
the presence of new and expanded Internet exchange facilities will
create a stronger and more competitive web. More hubs will enable
faster data transmissions, allowing local businesses to expand and, in
rural communities, e-commerce to flourish
Farmers, manufacturers, miners, will gain access to state-of-the-art
technologies that support safer and more productive operations. Medical
practitioners will be able to care for neglected populations via
telemedicine. Schools and libraries will have advanced tools at their
fingertips and open the world to their students. The local law
enforcement will add an important tool in their ``public safety
toolbox.'' Businesses looking to lay down roots will notice that rural
communities are investing in themselves and, hopefully, make the
decision to bring jobs and business opportunities to local workers and
to rural America.
But perhaps, most importantly, rural residents and their guests will
be able to decide for themselves whether they want to connect or
unplug, and they will be able to do it on their own terms.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.