FBA Supports New Rural Broadband Legislation

This week the FBA submitted a letter of enthusiastic support of the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act of 2021 to Congress, and noted how critical fiber optic infrastructure will be to achieving the goals set forth by the Act.

The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act is comprehensive legislation, introduced by members of the House Rural Broadband Task Force and House Democrats to expand access to affordable high-speed internet. The legislation offers investments of over $100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities and will ensure that the resulting internet service is affordable.

In its letter to Congress, the FBA noted the ubiquitous deployment of fiber optic infrastructure has become as essential in the 21st Century as the provision of electricity was in the 20th Century. Optical fiber is now the foundation for all communications networks now and into the future, including emerging technologies like 5G. Further, this fiber optic infrastructure is critical for smart grid modernization and, when deployed, will result in significant reductions in power outages and energy consumption. Most importantly, fiber deployment results in jobs and significant economic impact to the communities it touches.

The FBA applauded the vision of the legislation, with appreciation for provisions designed to ensure all bidders meet objective, transparent criteria upfront demonstrating technical and operational capacity to implement winning projects.

The FBA believes this legislation will pay huge dividends for America and result in rural communities throughout the nation finally enjoying the reliable, lightning-fast fiber optic networks that are becoming commonplace in urban and suburban areas. 

To read the full letter, click here. 

KP_IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER