House Commerce Democrats Ask Pai to Set 'Clearly Defined Goal' on Rural Broadband
Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., led a letter of six House Commerce Committee Democrats congratulating FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on his new leadership and his creation of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. “The FCC’s efforts to close this digital divide in…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
rural areas should be well defined with a targeted and clear goal,” the six Democrats said in the letter, dated Tuesday and not publicly released. “We therefore urge you to task the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee to establish this goal and to define successful broadband deployment in rural America before moving on to more detailed policies. Without first setting a clearly defined goal, we would be concerned the Committee may miss an opportunity to comprehensively address this issue.” Others signing the letter were Reps. Jerry McNerney of California; Anna Eshoo of California, former ranking member of the Communications Subcommittee; Dave Loebsack of Iowa; Doris Matsui of California; and G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina. Welch co-chairs the Rural Broadband Caucus. The FCC received and is reviewing the letter, a spokesman said. Matsui wrote an opinion piece for The Hill Wednesday highlighting what she dubbed a “digital deficit,” including in rural areas. The tools to compete “require infrastructure,” Matsui said. “We must make sustained federal investments in the high-speed broadband that allows everyone to participate in the innovation economy. … As we plan to rebuild our roads and bridges, we also need to consider the invisible airwaves that not only connect us to each other, but also fuel driverless cars, keep smart grids running and expand access to telemedicine in our communities.” She called for “continued leadership” on spectrum policy, noting the needs of a transition to 5G.