$109 Billion for Broadband Bill, AT&T Fiber, Starlink’s 60 New Satellites, Klobuchar’s Antitrust Crusade

March 16, 2021 – Democratic lawmakers have introduced a $312 billion bill that would boost broadband, clean energy and public health infrastructure.

The Leading Infrastructure For Tomorrow’s America Act, or LIFT America Act, was introduced Monday and is backed by all Democratic members of the House’s Energy and Commerce Committee.

“As our nation combats COVID-19 and a severe economic downturn, the LIFT America Act fulfills President Biden’s promise to Build Back Better,” said committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J.

“Over the last year, we’ve seen the devastating results of inaction: major power outages, water shortages, health care facilities stretched to the limit, and communities left behind due to the digital divide. By modernizing our infrastructure, we have an opportunity to revitalize our economy, create millions of new jobs, combat climate change, and ensure no community is left behind,” he added.

Of that amount, $109 billion will go toward a number of initiatives to expand broadband and internet access around the country, including $5 billion toward low-interest financing of broadband deployment, $15 billion in grants for next-generation 9-1-1, $9.3 billion to broadband affordability and adoption initiatives, and $80 billion for the nationwide expansion of connectivity.

The committee will hold a fully remote hearing on infrastructure legislation on Monday, March 22 at 11 a.m. ET.

AT&T bringing fiber to 3 million new locations

AT&T has promised to bring fiber internet to three million new locations across more than 90 metro areas, according to a strategy update.

It is most likely that these locations will consist of homes and businesses close to AT&T’s existing fiber installations instead of unserved places, the company said.

“We’re deliberate and strategic with how we allocate capital to invest in our market focus areas of 5G and fiber,” said AT&T CEO John Stankey. “Our number one priority in 2021 is growing our customer relationships. As demand for connectivity and content continues to grow, we are well-positioned to deliver.”

AT&T expects the three million additional fiber customer locations planned for 2021 will support continued momentum in its broadband business unit. In areas where AT&T has deployed its fiber network, the company has a 10 percent higher market share than its competitors, and about 70 percent of its gross subscribers are new to AT&T, it said.

Fiber is foundational to AT&T’s broadband portfolio, it said. The company’s chief financial officer John Stephens previously remarked that its keeping up with upload speed demand and that symmetrical technology is key to its strategy.

SpaceX launches 60 more satellites

SpaceX launched 60 additional satellites into orbit on Sunday, its 22nd Starlink mission and the 8th since the beginning of the year.

Starlink is a constellation of satellites that can provide high-speed, low latency internet worldwide, particularly in remote areas where connectivity is limited or completely unavailable.

The company is currently delivering beta services both domestically and internationally, where it’s available in Canada, the UK, and this week it was expanded to a coverage area to include Germany and the South Island of New Zealand.

The next Starlink launch is tentatively scheduled for March 21, from Cape Canaveral.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar continues antitrust crusade

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said there needs to be increased resources for law enforcement agencies like the Justice Department antitrust division and the Federal Trade Commission to adequately tackle what she regards as the competitive problem with big tech companies.

She said the government could do that by passing her hallmark legislation, called the Safe Tech Act, with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The proposed legislation maintains protections for internet intermediaries like Google for content posted by its users but not content that it gets paid for.

Klobuchar said that “we can’t talk about the current economy without talking about a small business that has closed down because of the pandemic. What exacerbated this issue was already the persistent problem in the country of concentration of economic power.”

She said there needs to be more active competition policies with robust regulation, which begins with stronger antitrust laws.