Wicker, Blackburn Bill Would Reallocate C-Band Proceeds
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Consumer Protection Subcommittee ranking member Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., filed the Broadband Reserve Fund Act Thursday in a bid to allocate up to $65 billion in C-band proceeds for the FCC and…
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NTIA to use on broadband and other connectivity priorities. Wicker and other lawmakers floated several proposals to allocate the C-band money last year (see 2007130054). Bidding closed in February at more than $81 billion (see 2102180041). The Broadband Reserve Fund Act would create a fund within the Treasury that the FCC and NTIA could access to pay for priorities. The bill asks Congress to enact further legislation “specifying” what the FCC and NTIA can use the money for. It suggests the money could go to broadband, “promoting spectrum efficiency,” remote learning, telecom supply chain security, digital equity and other priorities. The pandemic “has made internet access more vital than ever as Americans are relying on broadband services to work, learn, and connect with loved ones,” Wicker said. “This legislation would preserve valuable resources to expand broadband access in unserved areas, secure the nation’s communications supply chain, and promote the development of next-generation technologies.”