Biden's Broadband Infrastructure Proposal Criticized

President Joe Biden’s proposal to spend $100 billion on broadband (see 2103310064) pursues the goals of “expanding internet access and improving the quality of connectivity” in “a costly and heavy-handed way,” said American Action Forum Technology and Innovation Policy Director Jennifer Huddleston and Technology and Innovation Policy Analyst Juan Londono in a paper released Tuesday. “This new plan would have government direct deployment and pricing, diminishing market incentives for investment and innovation -- a marked shift from the current policy focusing on private-sector leadership in deployment and on targeted incentives for areas and individuals without service.” Biden’s “comments around the plan also suggest a potential move toward price controls on internet service,” AAF said. “Instead of engaging in these costly top-down programs with unproven success, policymakers should seek to work with the private sector and encourage further innovative solutions to improve access to high-quality, high-speed internet and encourage internet adoption.” Biden's effort to "future proof" broadband infrastructure (see 2103310064) would "increase inappropriately the costs of connecting unserved areas," blogged Andrew Long, Free State Foundation senior fellow. Biden's proposal to "reduce internet prices for all Americans" would also "disincentivize investment and innovation," Long said Tuesday. The FCC's current definition of broadband "unleashes the most efficient investment and innovation mechanism" to meet consumer demand, he said, but the administration's proposal would "render many viable distribution technologies ineligible to receive government subsidies simply due to their inability to deliver upstream speeds far exceeding the needs of consumers." Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., praised Biden Monday for seeking bipartisan compromise on infrastructure, after a meeting she attended on the issue earlier in the day with ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and other lawmakers (see 2104120060) “No one disagreed” during that meeting “that we need a major investment in infrastructure,” Cantwell tweeted. "I hope our colleagues will continue to talk through the details because it’s clear that transportation, housing, and broadband need more investment.”