The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Broadband (Executive Session)” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Senate section on pages S5568-S5570 on Sept. 14, 2020.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Broadband
Mrs. CAPITO. Madam President, I rise to address broadband connectivity and broadband access in rural States like the Presiding Officer's State and my State of West Virginia.
Our Nation has experienced a very tough couple of months because of the coronavirus pandemic. With the new normal consisting of teleworking, virtual learning, and telehealth appointments, there is no question that this has forced us to recognize and to reckon with the digital divide in this country. The ability to have affordable and reliable service is more valuable than ever.
However, in 2020, my State remains one of the least connected States in the country. Over the last few months, I have heard from many constituents--hundreds of my constituents--who are having difficulties properly and efficiently working from home, helping their kids with their homework because they lack robust internet access.
You know, I think about those children who either don't have connectivity or don't have an adult in the home who can really help them do their digital learning. We have to get our kids back in school, but in the meantime we have to have this connectivity.
Some examples of this are Randy from Parkersburg, whom I spoke to recently during a tele-townhall meeting that I held with constituents. Randy expressed his frustration with not being able to access the internet, making it difficult for his kids to complete their homework. He was driving to a hot spot.
Laura from Wheeling expressed her concern that her children will fall behind in school without access to their homework online.
And Mandy from Elkins, who is a professor, needs internet because of required online learning at Davis & Elkins.
These are just examples of the few of the concerns that I have heard from my constituents, but, unfortunately, there are many, many more just like those. I am sure you are hearing them as well in the great State of Iowa.
The reality is that broadband buildout in rural areas of West Virginia and across our country are extremely expensive and take more time to complete because, in our case, we have those beautiful West Virginia mountains. I have always said that if we can communicate with somebody on the Moon, we can surely find a way to deliver broadband to individuals, families, and businesses all across this Nation.
Fortunately, the FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, understands this and has been working with the other Commissioners at the FCC to structure the future of rural broadband deployment. The FCC's upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund--which I am going to call it RDOF, which is how we address it--is the largest Federal investment aimed at closing the digital divide.
RDOF will award $20.4 billion over the next 10 years for broadband service in rural America, with a special emphasis at the beginning on those who are totally unserved and then moving to those who have some service, but it is inadequate.
The first phase of the funding will be up to $16 billion deployed through a reverse auction, which is slated to begin next month.
On Friday, I talked with Chairman Pai for an update on the RDOF Program and what it will mean to West Virginia.
We also discussed where my State stands in the process. West Virginia is set to receive a significant amount of funding over the next 10 years to connect 121,000 eligible homes--so that is probably over 200,000 individuals--particularly those in the underserved areas, as I mentioned.
During my call with the Chairman, I received assurances that the FCC has been diligently working to get as many providers into the RDOF Program as possible.
The FCC has already provided feedback to providers on their short-
form applications so that they may be prepared to bid in the upcoming auction next month.
Another partner in my quest to close this digital divide is West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. Recently, the Governor signed an executive order to help expand broadband capabilities in West Virginia--very innovatively, I might add. His executive order would remove the regulatory cap on the amount of money that West Virginia's EDA can provide as loan insurance for broadband projects. In other words, the State is going to stand behind these providers to make sure we get our share of the RDOF money.
This is an innovative and bipartisan Federal-State partnership that hopefully will allow more local providers to successfully bid on the majority of the RDOF census blocks in our State.
These areas are oftentimes the most challenging to serve, and we need to ensure that our local providers--that are ready and able to connect their communities with high-speed broadband--have the ability to compete in the upcoming auction.
Our Governor's bipartisan effort is supported by leaders in both the majority and minority party of both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature, including the Senate president, Mitch Carmichael; our house speaker, Roger Hanshaw; the Senate minority leader, Roman Prezioso--whom I would like to thank for his service, as he is leaving the senate--and also the house minority leader, Tim Miley, who is also leaving, and I would like to thank him for his service.
So what is next and how do we continue to improve on this progress? One major undertaking is improving the FCC's broadband maps with more granular data. Far too often these maps show rural areas that are covered, but, in reality, if you are living in and around the area, you know they are not covered. There is no service. It is not the case.
This data collection and correction is tedious but critical, as these maps often determine funding levels and what areas are prioritized, naturally.
As cochair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I cosponsored the Broadband DATA Act, which this body passed last year and President Trump signed into law in March.
This new law will lead to the creation of a singular Federal broadband map, with new more granular data collected by the FCC from State and local governments, consumers, and other third parties, and will be updated biannually.
It would create an online mechanism where individuals can challenge the coverage maps. Let's say you live in an area and you say: Well, they are saying I am covered, and you know darn well you are living in a place that is uncovered. You can submit that data online, and it will be submitted to the providers.
It also requires regular auditing of data submitted by providers, allowing for crowdsourcing verification. This is important, too, because if you are grading yourself, you are going to give yourself a better grade, but if you are grading yourself and then you have a third-party verifier who is actually making sure that the data you are putting forward is correct, you might be just a little more circumspect about how accurate that data is.
Another step forward would be dovetailing road infrastructure with fiber broadband buildout. We all recognize broadband is infrastructure, and a ``dig once'' approach would sure save time and money. Digging through those mountains is pretty tough so we only want to dig once if we have to.
This is why I am happy to see that the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration in mid-August made an announcement of a new rule to improve coordination in the use of highway rights-of-way to support the installation of broadband technologies.
In other words, they are making it regulatorily easier at the Federal level to move forward.
This proposed rule would help ensure that the digging required to install utilities would also be utilized for broadband infrastructure. That makes sense, doesn't it? This would help cut down on the expense associated with the deployment into rural areas.
The good news is, this issue is one of the few issues that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are eager to work on together. We will continue to have obstacles ahead as we seek to close this digital divide, but I believe it is important to note the progress that we have made up to this point.
Five years ago, I created my Capito Connect Plan, which is a roadmap for bringing affordable, high-speed internet access to homes, businesses, and classrooms in my State of West Virginia.
Each year, we have made significant strides, and I am proud of these accomplishments that have been made. Are we all the way there? No. That is why I am talking about it today--how important it is, especially in this COVID environment.
So, for example, there is the Facebook Fiber Project. I personally asked founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, during a Commerce Committee hearing, for his commitment to partner with West Virginia on rural fiber deployment. They announced they are investing 275 miles of long-
haul fiber right through the southern portion of the State. I just drove by it on my way here. I can see the big coils, and they are moving forward with that.
Other investments are the State's first fiber infrastructure investment from Zayo. They will be constructing a similar build through the northern part of the State.
I have also worked to leverage Federal agencies like the USDA and their ReConnect Program to invest in West Virginia with Federal grants and loans.
Since the launch of my initiative, I have successfully delivered $37 million in funding for residential broadband projects through the USDA Programs and will continue in those efforts.
Last month, I was in rural Preston County, where I witnessed firsthand as broadband service was being installed to the home of Beverly and Jeff Stemple. This fiber installation project was funded by the USDA's Community Connect project and made possible by those initiatives.
I also visited Lincoln Primary Care in Hamlin, WV, which received a telemedicine grant from the FCC to help provide better care in Southern West Virginia, and they have a great plan that they are going to put in their community health centers and about 5 or 6 counties in 17 locations.
We have had a great deal of success with also identifying new areas for cell towers--one in Lincoln County. We visited with the providers there.
As you can see, all levels of government, along with the private sector, along with our municipalities and our local leaders, have stepped up to the plate to work toward this common goal.
Capito Connect is making a difference of connecting thousands of West Virginians. I have worked with colleagues on both side of the aisle through my committee work and also worked with the administration, which has truly prioritized this issue.
Perhaps one upside to the pandemic--or I would say better maybe lessons learned--is that it has helped us better appreciate the time that we can physically spend with one another. But lessons learned are we cannot disadvantage certain parts of this country because you don't have what I consider to be one of the essentials in order to do business, to have healthcare, and to learn, and that is the deployment of high-speed broadband.
Getting back to the human connection--wow. It is so important, and I know we miss it. A lot of us miss it. But it makes our work on broadband all that much more important.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from Tennessee.
