We have made staggering progress to connect millions of previously unserved rural Americans across the country, and now have the once-in-a-generation opportunity to complete the job.
One of the top issues I hear over and over across Iowa and the Midwest is the negative impact of our country’s stubborn rural broadband gap. And yet, new sweeping regulations from Washington — disguised under the banner of “net neutrality” — threaten to slow or altogether derail ongoing rural broadband buildout progress.
From education and health care to business and social opportunities, all of us rely on high-speed internet to thrive in today’s digital world. The disparities in connectivity across the country, however, continue to grow more stark between rural and urban communities. In fact, nearly 1 in 5 rural Americans still live without reliable access — or any access — to broadband. Numbers like this explain why many in rural areas feel increasingly disconnected from a shared, prosperous future enjoyed by the rest of the nation.
The Biden administration deserves tremendous credit for its ambitious goal to deliver “Internet for All.” As part of this mission, tens of billions of dollars in historic broadband funding are being distributed across the country to expand internet access, but these investments themselves will not be enough to connect rural America. Internet providers face significant headwinds during network buildouts, such as terrain challenges, complex contracting rules, and skilled labor shortages to name a few. If we are serious in our intentions to connect rural America, we must work to remove as many of these roadblocks standing in the way of efficient broadband deployment as possible.
Instead of removing barriers, federal agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seem eager to micromanage our nation’s broadband networks by proposing additional blockades. This includes the FCC’s “net neutrality” plan to force 1930s-era utility regulations onto our modern Internet.
Make no mistake, the FCC’s overzealous regulation and micromanagement will unleash an antiquated regulatory framework that pulls us further away from a fully connected country. It will drive away critical private investments and add burdens to the already complex challenge of deploying broadband.
Since 1996, broadband providers have invested more than $2.1 trillion into our national communications infrastructure, with over $102 billion invested in 2022 alone. While the $42 billion-plus in upcoming Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funds — including over $415 million Iowa will receive — will certainly have a positive effect, achieving the goal of universal high-speed internet access will also require private investments. Unneeded regulatory interference from Washington disincentives private network investments by introducing uncertainty for broadband providers. The last time that the FCC imposed misguided utility rules on broadband providers between 2015 and 2017, economic data demonstrated private investments to be $30 billion less than expected figures absent this regulation.
Furthermore, public and private leaders have made clear that the task of connecting rural America is daunting at best, and near impossible at worst thanks to a perfect storm of geographic, regulatory, operational, and economic challenges. The last thing Washington should do right now is add to existing costs and burdens for providers working to get the job done.
We have made staggering progress to connect millions of previously unserved rural Americans across the country, and now have the once-in-a-generation opportunity to complete the job. We cannot and must not allow unwarranted regulatory power grabs to get in the way of reaching that goal.
Patty Judge is the co-founder of Focus on Rural America. She was Iowa lieutenant governor from 2007 to 2011 and Iowa secretary of agriculture from 1999 to 2007.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
