Senator John Thune is no stranger to broadband issues. The Republican from South Dakota previously served as Chairman for the Senate Commerce Committee and today helps oversee the telecom industry as the ranking member on the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband. Earlier this week, Thune launched a new broadband oversight effort, sending letters to more than 30 industry associations including CTIA, NTCA, NCTA and WIA, public interest groups and free market advocates seeking feedback on the current state of broadband regulation.
Among other things, the letters ask for input on issues related to implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program; other broadband grant programs; rate regulation; permitting and pole attachments; and overbuilding concerns.
In an email interview with Thune, Fierce Telecom sought to gain more insight into why he launched the oversight effort and what exactly he hopes to achieve.
Fierce Telecom (FT): What prompted you to launch this oversight effort? Isn’t there an agency or committee tasked with tracking the billions in broadband support Congress has approved?
Senator John Thune (JT): Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Congress has provided nearly $80 billion in federal funding for broadband services. Ensuring that funding is used for its intended purposes, and sent to areas that need it the most, is a top priority of mine. As former chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and current ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, which has jurisdiction over these issues, I’m in a position to help ensure that this funding is being used in a fiscally responsible manner.
FT: Why is fragmentation among broadband funding programs an issue? What specific problems does this present from your perspective? Could this be solved by having all the programs use a single map or database of funding awards?
JT: We must be effective with our planning and efficient with our federal investments. The fragmented approach from the federal government increases the risk of waste, fraud and abuse. As we saw with past federal broadband programs, like NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, a fragmented approach also leads to a significant amount of overbuilding where there’s two separate federal programs – funded through taxpayer dollars – providing support to the same area. That is unacceptable.
FT: Are there other specific issues you’re worried about?
JT: Tackling the permitting hurdles that delay the buildout of broadband infrastructure is another issue we need to address. My MOBILE NOW Act, which was signed into law in 2018, has been an effective tool in moving the federal government in the right direction. We have more work ahead of us to make federal lands more accessible for broadband infrastructure investment. The agencies processing permitting requests must also meet deadlines, and they need to be held accountable, too.
FT: What insights do you hope to glean from responses to your letter? Can you discuss how these might translate into congressional action? What would be the prospects for passage of legislation addressing broadband issues?
JT: Hearing directly from the groups who are on the ground deploying telecommunications services is critical. If there are changes that need to be made to the various programs Congress has established, based on their feedback, we’ll get to work to make sure they are as effective as possible.
During the 118th Congress, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to address broadband issues. One area I’ll be focused on, in addition to my oversight efforts, is USDA’s broadband programs. I recently introduced the bipartisan Rural Internet Improvement Act with U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), which would streamline USDA’s broadband authorities and ensure funding goes to truly unserved areas.
FT: Do you think Congress should develop legislation codifying a national broadband plan?
JT: Having a national strategy to close the digital divide would be a win for everyone. Simply dumping more federal funds into a pot and spinning the acronym wheel to see which federal government agency it lands on is not an effective strategy. More Washington pork isn’t the solution here.
FT: How will you balance differing opinions from operators and advocacy groups?
JT: There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach when delivering reliable broadband services to Americans, so it’s important to hear from all stakeholders. There’s a lot of interest from varying groups, but, at the end of the day, it is my goal to ensure broadband funding goes to truly unserved areas so we can close the digital divide once and for all.