Broadband Internet for Small Ports Act
Broadband Internet for Small Ports Act would amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to expand and prioritize federal support for rural broadband. The bill focuses on speeding deployment and increasing access in rural areas, with explicit emphasis on (1) rural ports and (2) agricultural uses, including precision agriculture on cropland and ranchland. It would offer larger or more flexible grants and loans to projects that improve broadband service in these areas, require faster and more transparent project decisions, bring in more data and accountability, and align funded service levels with existing universal-service standards. In short, it aims to use federal financing to boost fixed and mobile broadband availability in rural ports and related agricultural areas while improving oversight and reporting. Key design features include: priority treatment for port-related broadband projects, a premium funding option for high-need rural areas, tighter verification of unserved communities, mandatory geolocation data reporting, expedited (but interim) environmental review practices, and a new oversight set-aside to fund accountability measures. The bill retains a mix of grants and loans, with grant amounts generally capped at 50% of project development costs (75% in certain cases), and it requires service levels to meet or exceed current universal-service high-cost standards.
Key Points
- 1Priority and targeted funding for rural ports and precision agriculture
- 2- Creates explicit priority for projects that expand broadband in rural ports and for fixed/mobile broadband deployed on cropland and ranchland used for precision agriculture.
- 3- Adds equal priority to port-related broadband projects beyond other existing priority categories.
- 4Grants/loans and cost-sharing
- 5- Generally, grants may cover up to 50% of development costs.
- 6- Grants can be increased up to 75% for eligible projects serving certain high-need rural areas and communities.
- 7Unserved communities identification and ongoing updates
- 8- For high-priority applications, the Secretary must verify unserved rural communities by coordinating with the FCC and NTIA and conducting site-specific checks.
- 9- Not less than every 2 years, the Secretary may adjust which communities are considered unserved.
- 10Data reporting and buildout transparency
- 11- Recipients must provide complete geolocation data showing where new or upgraded broadband is being built, within 30 days after milestone completion or project completion.
- 12Process efficiency, environment, and oversight
- 13- The Department may obligate funds before all environmental/historical reviews are completed if a follow-up site-specific review is deemed adequate.
- 14- Establishes a 1% set-aside from grants/loans/guarantees for ongoing oversight and accountability activities.
- 15Service standards and coordination
- 16- Funding decisions must ensure service levels are not below the level provided by universal service high-cost support, reinforcing minimum service quality.
- 17- The bill requires timely feedback and decisions on funding applications.