Sending Office: Honorable Doug Collins
Sent By:
Erica.Barker@mail.house.gov
Ensure Internet Service Provider Accountability with Connect America Funds
Cosponsor the Connect America Fund (CAF) Accountability Act of 2019
Dear Colleague,
Too often, we hear stories of students, entrepreneurs, and families in rural areas burdened with subpar broadband speeds – leaving them with the frustrating reality that they can’t consistently access the Internet. The 21st century economy demands
access to reliable broadband services, a need that Congress has answered in part with federal funding to build up and expand rural broadband infrastructure.
While many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that have received this funding have used it properly, diligently building out to rural homes and businesses, others have taken taxpayer dollars but failed to fulfill their obligations to their consumers. Unfortunately,
some ISPs fail to meet their obligations, instead using taxpayer dollars ineffectively or inappropriately – turning their backs on those families at the last mile. I intend to introduce a bill that focuses on accountability for recipients of Connect America
Funds (CAF).
The CAF Accountability Act will ensure that CAF recipients that provide fixed wireline Internet service are, in fact, meeting the speed requirements outlined in FCC regulations. Currently, CAF recipients are required to provide speeds of at least 10 Mbps
downstream and 1 Mbps upstream to consumers in CAF service areas. In Northeast Georgia – a rural district serviced largely by CAF recipients – the speeds reported by consumers are consistently abysmal, sometimes not even reaching 3 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps
upstream. My bill ensures that CAF recipients are reporting the speeds they are actually providing consumers – not those that are the product of gamed performance testing software, unrepresentative sampling, or repeat testing locations. Accurately reported
speeds will provide the FCC with the knowledge they need to accurately disperse CAF funds and exercise oversight over CAF resources in the future.
If you have any questions about the CAF Accountability Act or would like to cosponsor, please contact Erica Barker on my staff at
erica.barker@mail.house.gov or 5-9893.
Sincerely,
Doug Collins
Ninth Congressional District of Georgia
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