Mayors to Capitol Hill Republicans and the White House: Don’t Forget Broadband
Fiber-optic cable being laid.
Infrastructure policy discussions are underway with President Trump calling for a $1 trillion public-private package, and cities want reliable high-speed internet included.
WASHINGTON — A collective of mayors stressed bipartisan support for the deployment of accessible, affordable, high-speed broadband internet in their jurisdictions in a letter to leading Republican lawmakers in the nation’s capital.
Coinciding with a U.S. Senate hearing on transportation and information infrastructure on Wednesday, the letter was sent by 62 signatories to President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Representing nearly 16 million Americans—from San Francisco to Chattanooga, Tennessee— their message was clear: reliable internet is a nonpartisan necessity to future economic development, education and citizen engagement in localities across the country.
“As mayors and municipal officials, we have each championed access for our residents to high-quality broadband in ways that are right for our communities,” reads the letter. “We are eager to have the federal government take steps in an infrastructure package that will truly increase internet access for millions of Americans, and do so in ways that recognize the importance of local leaders in making these lofty plans a reality in our towns and cities across America.”
Seventeen percent of Americans—and 53 percent in rural areas—lack broadband access, according to the mayors, who want to prioritize states that have “eliminated barriers to local internet choice” with right-of-way policies for federal middle-mile and last-mile assistance.
The mayors also requested that any infrastructure plan include incentives for new market entrants and overbuilders because competition drives down costs.
Multi-provider and open-access delivery models, including nonprofit models, should be funded, the letter continues.
All 62 mayors are members of Next Century Cities, a bipartisan broadband infrastructure advocacy organization.
Dave Nyczepir is a News Editor at Government Executive’s Route Fifty and is based in Washington, D.C.
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