Pallone Seeks $2B 'Emergency Broadband Benefit' in Next COVID-19 Bill
House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, N.J., is circulating discussion language to provide $2 billion in “emergency broadband benefit” funding in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill. Some lobbyists we spoke with this week saw the draft as Democrats’ bid to…
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resurrect plans for emergency broadband funding without providing new ammunition to Lifeline critics. Pallone’s draft somewhat mirrors House Democrats’ proposal for emergency Lifeline funding included in their Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act (HR-6379), which they floated during talks on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the most recent aid law. HR-6379 proposed $1 billion for Lifeline, in contrast to the Pallone draft’s $2 billion. Pallone's proposal, like HR-6379, would allocate money to a proposed U.S. Treasury-administered Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund. The FCC would reimburse ISPs for service provided to qualifying households. The funding would be used to support service only during pandemic-related emergency periods. ISPs could seek up to $100 for supplying a computer to a qualifying household if the charge to the residence is $10-$50 monthly. Providers could seek more if they demonstrate the service cost “exceeds the rate of reimbursement.” The proposal would raise minimum service standards for Lifeline mobile voice service during the emergency period to 4,000 minutes monthly from the current 1,000. It’s believed Pallone is circulating the draft with the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and other Democratic leaders. House Commerce didn’t comment Wednesday.