On Thursday, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-South Carolina) unveiled the Rural Broadband Acceleration Act (H.R. 7022) which would fast-track the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) timeline for providing $16 billion in rural broadband subsidies as soon as this summer. Under the current schedule, the FCC will allow telecom providers to begin bidding for these Rural Digital Opportunity Fund subsidies in October. Representative Clyburn’s push contradicts warnings from House Energy and Commerce telecom subcommittee Chair Mike Doyle (D-Pennsylvania) who tweeted Wednesday the FCC plan “will fail to get broadband to the places that need it most.” Responding to these concerns, Representative Clyburn's proposal anticipates simultaneously appropriating millions of dollars for creation of new maps by October 1st. In the U.S. Senate, Senate Commerce Chair Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) has also expressed interest in a speedier timeline for dispensing the funds.
