Golden Leads Bipartisan Push for Better Data, New Approaches to Expand Reliable Broadband to Rural America

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure, led a bipartisan group of 15 members of Congress today calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take steps to address the country's digital divide and help small businesses in rural America grow and hire workers in rural areas. In a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Golden and his colleagues proposed two approaches that will help bring high-speed internet access to rural communities across the country: improving broadband data collection and taking advantage of TV white spaces.

"Lack of broadband access holds Maine small businesses and their workers back," said Congressman Golden. "We're pushing the FCC to focus on innovative technologies like TV white spaces and to improve its data and mapping information so that we can identify the best approaches to bring broadband to small businesses in rural Maine. I hope to work with the FCC to tackle the broadband roadblocks facing small businesses across the country."

The members of Congress, including Small Business Committee Chair Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) and Ranking Member Steve Chabot (OH-01) and Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure Ranking Member Pete Stauber (MN-08) pressed the FCC to improve its data collection for broadband mapping to best pinpoint areas with the most need. A shortage of accurate broadband mapping data is a significant barrier to policy-making to expand broadband infrastructure. The group also pushed for the deregulation of innovative technologies that will accelerate broadband deployment, such as TV white spaces (TVWS). TVWS uses unlicensed or unshared spectrum where fiber-optic solutions aren't feasible and have strong support from many in the small business community.

At a recent House Small Business Committee hearing, Golden heard from small business owners on the need to expand accessible broadband to rural America. Due to the shortage of reliable coverage in rural parts of the country, many business owners have been forced to resort to the expensive practice of using the hot spot on their cellphones or to stopping businesses until they are able to reconnect to the internet.

Read a copy of the letter here.