Democrats' 2020 Platform Said Likely to Include Broadband Funding
Several 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls' recent proposals for broadband funding “suggest that [the issue] will be in their 2020 platform, likely as part of a larger infrastructure bill,” said Cowen’s Paul Gallant Wednesday. Seven candidates propose substantial broadband funding plans,…
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ranging from a $20 billion proposal by former Vice President Joe Biden to a $150 billion one from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that would require “Big Tech companies to pay into" USF (see 1908220061). “Unlike existing federal subsidies to commercial ISPs, this new funding would only be available to local governments, co-ops and nonprofits,” Gallant emailed investors. The communications sector hoped for more appetite for infrastructure legislation this year because Democrats regained the majority in the House in the 2018 election (see 1811130011). But talks between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders on a potential infrastructure package broke down in May (see 1905220076). Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg “also say government-funded networks are needed where existing broadband is slow or too expensive,” Gallant said. Enactment of an infrastructure bill with broadband funding “is likely if Democrats control any two of the White House/Senate/House post-2020 election,” the analyst said. Consideration of broadband funding with a majority-Democratic Congress or Democratic president is likely to include a debate over “possible” pre-emption of state-level restrictions on municipal broadband, he said. Warren proposed pre-emption (see 1908090040) along the lines of the FCC's 2015 grant of petitions to overrule North Carolina and Tennessee laws that restrict such projects. The FCC was reversed in court (see 1608290054).