Carr Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan, Bicameral “PLAN for Broadband Act” 
Bill Would Require President to Develop National Broadband Strategy and Implementation Plan
WASHINGTON, DC, August 4, 2022—Today, Senators Roger Wicker and Ben Ray Luján joined with Representatives Tim Walberg and Peter Welch to introduce the Proper Leadership to Align Networks for Broadband Act or the PLAN for Broadband Act.  This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would require the President to develop a national strategy to improve the coordination and management of broadband programs, including adopting accountability and performance measures, as well as an implementation plan to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in federal broadband programs.  
Commissioner Carr, who has been raising concerns about the lack of oversight, accountability, and coordination when it comes to the federal government’s approach towards spending of hundreds of billions of new broadband dollars, issued the following statement:
“I applaud Senators Wicker and Luján as well as Representatives Walberg and Welch for their thoughtful work and leadership in introducing the PLAN for Broadband Act.  This is a vital bill that would fill a key gap in the federal government’s approach to broadband infrastructure spending.  Over the last two years, Congress has made an historic commitment to ending the digital divide in this country—appropriating more than $800 billion that can be used on broadband efforts, by my count.
“While I have been pleased to see the broad, bipartisan support for extending affordable, high-speed Internet services to every American, I have also expressed concern that the lack of a national coordinating strategy coupled with the absence of performance and accountability measures will result in wasted dollars and families stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide.  I have not been alone in expressing this view.  Indeed, in May, the GAO issued a troubling new report that determined that ‘U.S. broadband efforts are not guided by a national strategy’ and that ‘[f]ederal broadband efforts are fragmented and overlapping, with more than 100 programs administered by 15 agencies,’ risking overbuilding as well as wasteful duplication.
“It is a particularly inopportune time to be spending hundreds of billions of dollars in an uncoordinated way because doing so only adds to the inflationary pressures that are already hitting Americans in their pocketbooks.  So I am pleased that these Senate and House leaders have introduced this bill, which will require a national strategy as well as an implementation plan.  It is critical that Congress move quickly to pass this legislation, and I would encourage all federal agencies to administer their broadband programs in a manner consistent with the smart policies included in this bill.”

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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr
Media Contact:  Greg Watson
(202) 418-0658 or greg.watson@fcc.gov