[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 11, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E501-E502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE COMMUNITY BROADBAND ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2021

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I'm proud to sponsor H.R. 1631, the 
Community Broadband Act, a bicameral bill that empowers communities in 
every state to bridge the digital divide by deploying their own local 
broadband networks.
  Tens of millions of Americans lack access to broadband or can't 
afford it. This digital divide is a national embarrassment, and we must 
do everything we can to solve it. One part of the solution should be 
community broadband, a proven model that works to provide fast 
broadband at affordable speeds to millions of Americans today.
  Over 900 municipalities, Tribes, co-ops, public-private partnerships, 
and nonprofits across the U.S. administer broadband networks in their 
own communities. These are communities in urban, suburban, rural, and 
Tribal regions of our country spanning 120 Congressional Districts.
  Unfortunately, 22 states have enacted laws to limit or ban such 
networks. These state laws shield incumbents from competition and harm 
consumers. Importantly, research by New America's Open Technology 
Institute shows that community broadband produces higher quality 
service at lower costs.
  For this reason, Senator Cory Booker, Representative Jared Golden, 
and I introduced the Community Broadband Act which preempts 
protectionist state laws to enable community broadband. The Community 
Broadband Act was originally introduced in the 109th Congress by 
Senators Lautenberg and McCain, and I've been proud to carry this 
legislation with Senator Booker since the 114th Congress.
  The Community Broadband Act is supported by a long list of well-
respected organizations, including the National League of Cities; the 
National Association of Counties; Next Century Cities; the Southern 
California Tribal Chairmen's Association; National Urban League; 
Consumer Reports; Electronic Frontier Foundation; New America's Open 
Technology Institute; Public Knowledge; Free Press Action; the Center 
for Democracy & Technology; Access Now; the National Digital Inclusion 
Alliance; National Rural Electric Cooperative Association; the 
Utilities Technology Council; the Institute for Local Self-Reliance; 
and the Coalition for Local Internet Choice.
  Last Congress, the House passed the Community Broadband Act as part 
of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. The legislation is included in H.R. 
1783, Majority Whip Clyburn's Accessible, Affordable Internet for All 
Act and H.R. 1848, the Energy and Commerce Committee's LIFT America 
Act, and I thank Whip Clyburn and Chairman Pallone for including my 
legislation in theirs.
  I'm also very pleased that the Biden-Harris Administration's American 
Jobs Plan proposal includes the need for ``lifting barriers that 
prevent municipally-owned or affiliated providers and rural electric 
co-ops from competing on an even playing field with private 
providers,'' which can be achieved by enacting the Community Broadband 
Act.
  At a recent hearing of the Energy and Commerce Committee's 
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, three witnesses made a 
strong case for the importance of community broadband, and each 
endorsed the Community Broadband Act. They testified about successful 
networks of many types that I wish to recognize as well:
  The City of Wilson, North Carolina, operates a successful fiber-to-
the-home network for its residents. The City of San Rafael, California 
partnered with a nonprofit to develop a mesh network to provide free 
wi-fi to residents. EugNet is an open-access network in Eugene, Oregon 
that has experienced major societal returns to their investment in a 
community network. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority is a highly 
successful Tribal broadband network. The City of Lafayette, Louisiana 
launched LUS Fiber to offer affordable, high-speed broadband for all of 
its residents. The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, invested in a fiber 
network in 2009. That network isn't just economically viable, it turns 
a profit for the city even after offering low prices.
  I also wish to recognize two community networks in my California's 
18th Congressional District. A group of residents of the City of Los 
Altos Hills formed a mutual benefit organization called the Los Altos 
Hills Community Fiber Association to offer high-speed internet where 
other fiber options are sparse. The City of Palo was a pioneer when it 
became one of the first cities in our country to deploy a dark fiber 
network in 1996. This has enabled high-quality

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connectivity for countless businesses. Residents are now organizing to 
expand this network for fiber-to-the-home offerings.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1631 and urge the 
House to pass this legislation swiftly.

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