https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200707/08053244853/house-passes-massive-broadband-bill-that-surprisingly-doesnt-suck.shtml

The majority of broadband bills that wind their way through Congress don't actually address the most pressing problem in US telecom: a lack of meaningful broadband competition. Often the bills focus almost exclusively on heavy subsidization of incumbent telecom monopolies, an approach that requires a level of diligence the U.S. has historically not been capable of. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, which passed the House last week, certainly includes its fair share of subsidization, including $80 billion in fiscal year 2021 to help deploy fiber broadband networks to the underserved parts of the country.

But the bill also contains a number of other improvements most objective experts have long supported, including:Wording that eliminates the 19 state laws, usually literally written by incumbent ISPs like AT&T, that prohibit or hinder your town or city from building its own broadband network, even if existing private providers have refused to upgrade your area.A "dig once" mandate that dictates that fiber conduit must be installed alongside any new highway construction in a bid to make widespread fiber deployment easier.a $9 billion Broadband Connectivity Fund that would dole out $50 monthly discounts for low-income broadband users, and $75 monthly discounts for low-income households in Tribal lands. Our existing low income program (Lifeline) was started by Ronald Reagan, and doles out a measly $9.25 credit that must be used on wireless, phone, or broadband service, and the Pai FCC has been fairly relentless in its quest to eliminate even this modest subsidy. Often, according to the courts, without actually measuring the real-world impact of their tactics.A provision that dictates that any new subsidized fiber builds must be "open access," meaning that numerous ISP competitors will be allowed to come in and compete using centralized infrastructure. For decades, data has indicated that such a model results in better, cheaper, faster broadband service thanks to forced competition -- and for just as long, US policy makers have ignored this data.