Title
To amend title 23, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to require that broadband conduit be installed as part of certain highway construction projects, and for other purposes.
The full texts of the bill is available:
Analysis
This bill has been introduced by Representative Anna Eshoo [CA] in the House of Representatives. Senator Amy Klobuchar [MN] has, or will, introduce a companion bill in the Senate.
These bills, if passed, would require that whenever states use federal highway money to build or improve roads, they must also create a conduit for pulling fiber lines or placing wireless equipment. Installing a conduit eliminates the need to dig up the road again in the future in order to lay more fiber lines, as future fiber deployment is pulled through the conduit. This bill would greatly reduce the cost of laying fiber or installing certain types of wireless equipment, which will help spur deployment and enhance broadband competition. This bill is an excellent example of the “mindful” federal policy for expanding broadband access urged by Public Knowledge in PK’s National Broadband Plan comments.
Additional analysis of the bill is available at the OpenCongress’ page for the bill.
