The "PLAN for Broadband Act" directs the Assistant Secretary to create a national strategy and implementation plan to provide affordable, high-speed internet to all Americans by improving coordination among federal agencies and reducing barriers for state, local, and Tribal governments.
Tim Walberg
Representative
MI-5
The "PLAN for Broadband Act" aims to bridge the digital divide by requiring the development of a national strategy for affordable, high-speed internet access for all Americans. This strategy mandates improved coordination among federal agencies, reduced barriers for state and local governments, and efficient distribution of broadband funding. The Act also requires an implementation plan, regular congressional briefings, and a Government Accountability Office study to ensure effective execution and identify areas for improvement. Ultimately, the bill seeks to streamline federal broadband programs, promote accountability, and foster collaboration to expand broadband access and adoption nationwide.
Feds Ordered to Create National Broadband Blueprint: New Act Mandates Strategy to Coordinate and Expand Internet Access
This legislation, the PLAN for Broadband Act, directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to develop a comprehensive National Strategy within one year aimed at closing the digital divide across the U.S. The core goal is straightforward: figure out how to get high-speed, affordable broadband internet to everyone and make sure the numerous federal agencies involved are actually working together effectively.
Untangling the Broadband Wires
Right now, various federal agencies (like the FCC, USDA, and others listed in Section 6) run different programs related to broadband deployment, access, and affordability. This bill acknowledges that this fragmented approach can be inefficient and confusing. Section 2 mandates the new National Strategy to explicitly list all these federal programs, describe current coordination efforts (or lack thereof), identify obstacles, and clearly define agency roles and responsibilities. It also aims to ease the burden on state, local, and Tribal governments trying to navigate these federal programs, addressing factors that increase their costs and administrative headaches.
Building the Blueprint: What's in the Plan?
The strategy isn't just a list; it's meant to be an actionable plan. Section 2 requires it to address resource needs, investment targets, and ways to streamline the often complex process for getting broadband infrastructure approved on federal lands. Think about trying to run fiber optic cable through a national forest – the goal is to make processes like that smoother. The follow-up Implementation Plan, due 120 days after the Strategy (Section 3), must detail how agencies will be held accountable, establish regular coordination meetings, and mandate the use of common data sets, like the broadband maps created under the Communications Act, for funding decisions. It also targets waste and fraud by monitoring spending across overlapping programs.
Making it Happen: Timelines and Check-ins
Accountability is built into the process. The Assistant Secretary needs to consult widely while developing the strategy – talking to consumer groups, providers, Tribal entities, and state/local agencies (Section 2). Once the Implementation Plan is submitted, Congress gets a briefing within 21 days, followed by updates every 90 days until the strategy is fully rolled out (Section 4). Public input is also required during the plan's development (Section 3). To top it off, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is tasked under Section 5 with studying the whole effort within a year of the plan's submission to see if it's actually working and recommend improvements. It's a structured approach designed to turn policy goals into a coordinated federal effort.