Rep. Anna Eshoo Reintroduces Broadband Bills to Lay Conduit, Streamline Pole Attachments and Permit Community Broadband

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Rep. Anna Eshoo on Thursday introduced three separate measures designed to expedite broadband access. The Conduit Deployment Act and the CLIMB Once Act are common-sense measures that enjoy strong support from many players in the industry, at least at a general level. The Community Broadband Act is also a common-sense measure to remove roadblocks, although incumbents frequently oppose public sector involvement in broadband projects.

In addition to these three measures, Eshoo has also sponsored Accelerating Wireless Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act of 2019, H.R. 530, which would overturn Federal Communications Commission regulations limiting the ability of local governments to regulate the deployment of 5G wireless infrastructure. The legislation has the support of more than 125 local governments and 130 public utilities in 47 states.

Eshoo Reintroduces Three Bills to Expand Broadband Access, from Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.:

Today, Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo reintroduced three bills during Infrastructure Week to expand access to broadband.

“Broadband access is an integral part of today’s modern infrastructure and it is as essential to our economy as the roads and bridges that connect us,” Eshoo said. “These three bills will cut down on the time and cost of deploying new broadband infrastructure and empower communities to advance broadband deployment and expansion.”

The three bills reintroduced by Rep. Eshoo are:

• The Broadband Conduit Deployment Act, commonly ‘dig once,’ is bicameral, bipartisan legislation that mandates the inclusion of conduit—plastic pipes which house fiberoptic cables—during road construction receiving federal funding.
• The Community Broadband Act is bicameral legislation that removes roadblocks for public-private partnerships and locally-owned broadband systems.
• The Clearing Local Impediments Makes Broadband Open to New Competition and Enhancements (CLIMB ONCE) Act helps local communities streamline the pole attachment process to make the deployment of broadband faster, cheaper, and more competitive.

Rep. Eshoo is a longtime advocate for broadband access for all Americans. Her legislative efforts provide commonsense solutions to expand access to high-quality broadband and empower local communities to deploy cost-effective solutions that work best for their own communities.

Source: Eshoo Reintroduces Three Bills to Expand Broadband Access – Congresswoman Anna Eshoo

(Photo of Rep. Anna Eshoo, speaking at the Broadband Breakfast Club on January 15, 2013.)