Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) has introduced a bill, H.R. 1672, to authorize almost $80 billion to expand broadband access to underserved and unserved households across the country. 75 percent of the money will be reserved for expanding coverage to underserved areas with less than 100 Mbps upload and download speeds and the other 25 percent will be distributed to state governments to implement local broadband buildout programs. H.R. 1672 also includes a $500 million carve-out for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Connectivity Program and a $100 million carve-out for U.S. territories.
Representative Welch has also introduced another bill, H.R. 1673, that will require the FCC to make the provision of Wi-Fi access on school buses eligible for E-rate support.
