Senator Wicker (R-Miss) wants a streamlined National Strategy to fund broadband…

Thanks to Congress’ work on the infrastructure law, America has the funding to make internet coverage reliable nationwide. Where broadband goes, economic growth and educational opportunity follow. But despite the federal government’s efforts, including decades of work and billions of dollars, too many Americans still lack reliable connection, an unacceptable fact in today’s digital world.

The problem boils down to bureaucratic disorganization. Today, over 100 separate initiatives, managed by 15 individual federal agencies, have been deployed to address the digital urban-rural divide. This fragmented approach has led to inefficiencies and wasted resources. To help solve this, I have introduced legislation that would coordinate these efforts and bring communities online faster.

He uses Minnesota as an example of what can happen…

In May 2022, I commissioned a nonpartisan Government Accountability Office report to analyze the current maze of programs. It seemed clear to me that broadband funds could be used more effectively.

Indeed, the report found local officials have struggled to navigate the complexity of broadband grant applications. They encounter a confusing variety of program requirements, timelines, approval processes and other metrics. One county in Minnesota provides a particularly bad example of this problem. There, multiple providers received funds from different agencies under different broadband programs — all for the same project. It could all be avoided with a coherent strategy.

Federal agencies have created some safeguards against duplication, but the programs are so complex that these measures often fall short. In many cases, Congress will have to clarify confusing statutory language. I am eager for the administration to provide lawmakers with a list of these instances so we can work to remedy them quickly.