Bennet Has Cosponsored Legislation to Help Small Broadband Companies Sustain Critical Internet Connectivity for Students and Their Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Denver – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to include dedicated funding to help small broadband providers sustain internet services and upgrades for students and low-income families in any future legislation in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Bennet is a cosponsor of the Keeping Critical Connections Act, which would help small broadband companies provide critical internet services and upgrades for students and their families during the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The bill would appropriate $2 billion for a Keeping Critical Connections fund at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The fund would compensate small internet providers with fewer than 250,000 customers that provided distance learning capability for students or free or discounted broadband services or upgrades during the pandemic for low-income families unable to pay their bills.

“In recent weeks, unemployment claims have surged, and schools across the country have closed in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus, leaving many Americans—including low-income families and students—without critical internet connectivity. Many small broadband providers have committed to continue providing voice and broadband services and upgrades despite ongoing economic hardships facing many Americans,” wrote Bennet and his fellow members of Congress.

Bennet and his colleagues continued: “Small providers—which contribute to more than 77,000 jobs and support more than $10 billion in economic activity in the United States— may be unable to sustain services if customers are unable to pay for a prolonged period of time, jeopardizing broadband connectivity for customers all across this country. Without action from Congress, small providers may be unable to continue to help ensure that the communities they serve can access distance learning and telehealth services.”

Last month, Bennet called on the country’s leading internet service providers (ISPs) to suspend data caps, provide free and at-cost service, and other steps to expand access. Following the letter, several major ISPs announced policies to better accommodate customers during the pandemic. Bennet also called on the FCC to waive its rules to allow schools and libraries to buy mobile hotspots and Wi-Fi enabled devices through its E-Rate program to help those without internet at home stay connected and urged House and Senate leaders to increase funding for E-Rate by $2 billion in the most recent emergency spending package. Bennet also called on the FCC to increase support for health care providers through its Rural Health Care Program.

In addition to Bennet, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).  

The letter was also signed by U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Steve Watkins (R-Kan.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Don Young (R-Alaska), and David McKinley (R-W.Va.).

The text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Schumer, and Minority Leader McCarthy:

We write to urge you to include dedicated funding in any future legislation to help ensure small broadband providers can keep students and low-income families connected during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many students and low-income families are facing financial hardships due to the pandemic need assistance from small broadband providers—many of which have already committed to sustain critical internet services and provide upgrades to ensure that the most vulnerable among us stay connected.

In recent weeks, unemployment claims have surged, and schools across the country have closed in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus, leaving many Americans—including low-income families and students—without critical internet connectivity. Many small broadband providers have committed to continue providing voice and broadband services and upgrades despite ongoing economic hardships facing many Americans. Small providers—which contribute to more than 77,000 jobs and support more than $10 billion in economic activity in the United States— may be unable to sustain services if customers are unable to pay for a prolonged period of time, jeopardizing broadband connectivity for customers all across this country. Without action from Congress, small providers may be unable to continue to help ensure that the communities they serve can access distance learning and telehealth services.

It is for this reason that we introduced the bipartisan Keeping Critical Connections Act, which now has 11 cosponsors in the House and 17 in the Senate. While the third coronavirus relief package included funding for rural broadband deployment, it did not include funding to help small broadband providers sustain services and upgrades for students and low-income families. We now urge you to include funding in the next expected relief package for a temporary emergency relief fund at the Federal Communications Commission to help small broadband providers continue these critical services for students and low-income families throughout the pandemic.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We stand ready to work with you to help small broadband companies keep communities connected at this critical time.