The publication is reproduced in full below:
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 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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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 81
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