High-Speed Internet for All 2/10/20, 5:06 PM

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ISSUES

High-Speed
Internet for
All
When Bernie is president, every American
household will have affordable, high-speed
internet by the end of his first term.

Key Points
• Provide $150 billion through the Green New Deal in infrastructure grants and
technical assistance for municipalities and/or states to build publicly owned and
democratically controlled, co-operative, or open access broadband networks.

• Require that all internet service providers offer a Basic Internet Plan that provides
quality broadband speeds at an affordable price.

• Break up internet service provider and cable monopolies, bar service providers
from providing content, and unwind anticompetitive mergers.

• Ensure broadband infrastructure is resilient to the effects of climate change.

Details
Today, high-speed internet is central to the basic functions of families, students, and
businesses. Small businesses often cannot exist without it. Access to health care often
depends on it. Yet across the country, huge swaths of the population lack access to an

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internet connection or cannot afford the options available. Millions lack any internet
provider in their area and tens of millions are trapped with only one option. High
prices keep internet out of reach for working families in both rural and urban areas.

High-speed internet service must be treated as the new electricity — a public utility
that everyone deserves as a basic human right. And getting online at home, at school,
or at work shouldn’t involve long waits, frustrating phone calls, and complex
contracts and fees meant to trap and trick consumers. It should just work.

The internet as we know it was developed by taxpayer-funded research, using

taxpayer-funded grants in taxpayer-funded labs. Our tax dollars built the internet and
access to it should be a public good for all, not another price gouging profit machine
for Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon.

Internet, telecom, and cable monopolies exploit their dominant market power to
gouge consumers and lobby government at all levels to keep out competition. And
they don’t provide service to anyone who can’t afford it, or install it in areas where it
won’t make them as much money as their shareholders demand.

Their greed must end. Verizon made more than $45 billion in profits over the last two
years, and last year their CEO took home more than $22 million in compensation.
Comcast made more than $34 billion over the last two years and paid their CEO more
than $35 million in 2018. AT&T took $3 billion from Trump’s tax cut and cut 23,000
jobs while their CEO pocketed $29 million last year. With no incentive to innovate or
invest, these conglomerates charge sky-high internet prices to reap profits from
consumers, and they collect government subsidies to provide service to rural
households while still leaving millions of Americans unconnected.

It’s time to take this critical 21st century utility out of the hands of monopolies and
conglomerates and bring it to the people while creating good-paying, union jobs at
the same time. This is not a radical idea. Cities across the country deliver municipality-
owned, high-speed internet to their residents, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to
Lafayette, Louisiana.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised to deliver electricity to every home in

America in 1935, a time when 90 percent of rural households lacked it. Ten years later,
his promise was largely fulfilled, transforming the standard of living for millions of
Americans. Farmers could finally refrigerate milk. We already know how to provide
affordable, high-speed internet, but conglomerates continue to monopolize the
industry and provide the country with inadequate coverage and service. Bernie
fought against this monopolization in 1996, when legislation passed into law that
gave free reign to monopolize markets and gouge consumers. Enough is enough.
When Bernie is president, every American household will have affordable, high-
speed internet by the end of his first term. This investment will provide every
community the internet they need for their homes, educational systems, small
businesses, health clinics, and more.

Provide Universal High-Speed Broadband

Internet for All

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The geographic disparities of internet access are stark: in rural communities, more
than 31 percent of Americans still lack access to what the Trump FCC defines as
broadband. In urban areas, low-income communities and communities of color
disproportionately lack access to broadband and millions more can’t afford to
subscribe to broadband services. The United States ranks just tenth of 22 in a
comparison with European countries in broadband deployment.

The situation is even worse for under-resourced groups, communities of color, Native
Americans, and people with disabilities. White, educated households are more likely
to have broadband internet than households in communities of color. More than 80
percent of white households have home internet, compared to only 70 percent of
Latino households and 68 percent of Black households. The FCC has reported that
less than half of rural tribal areas have access to high-speed internet. Roughly one in
four people with disabilities say they do not use the internet, and people with
disabilities are 20 percent less likely to have broadband. We must end these
disparities by connecting every household in America to high-speed internet,
regardless of their income or zip code.

Municipalities across the country running their own internet services have proved they
can deliver high-quality service at a fraction of the price of established monopolies.
Cities can run their own networks just like a water or electric utility or build out an
open access network to allow multiple providers to compete on price and service,
rather than one or two conglomerates gouging customers and setting their own
prices. Bernie believes it’s time to stop relying on profit-focused corporations to get to
universal broadband. Bernie will provide the necessary funding for states, cities, and
co-ops to build out their own broadband networks, and ensure all households are
connected by the end of his first term.

As president, Bernie will:

Deliver access to high-speed broadband internet to everyone in the United
States by building out the necessary resilient, modern infrastructure.

Provide $150 billion through the Green New Deal in infrastructure grants and
technical assistance for municipalities and/or states to build publicly owned and
democratically controlled, co-operative, or open access broadband networks.

Condition grants on strong labor, wage and sourcing standards to ensure

that federal funding goes toward creating good-paying union jobs.

Ensure all funded projects cannot subcontract work to evade labor

law through the Workplace Democracy Plan.

Condition grants on universal service, provisioning minimum speeds,

privacy standards and affordability

Reform the Universal Service Fund and establish dedicated funding from
general revenue to the existing programs, ending regressive contributions
from providers are passed onto consumers.

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Establish a dedicated, accelerated last-mile fund through the Department

of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service to provide capital funding to connect
all remote rural households and businesses and upgrade outdated
technology and infrastructure, prioritizing funding for existing co-ops and
small rural utilities.

Set aside $7.5 billion of this funding to expand high-speed broadband in

Indian Country and fully resource the FCC’s Office of Native Affairs and
Policy.

Preempt the 19 state laws, largely written and lobbied for by internet service
provider monopolies, that limit or bar municipal and publicly-owned
broadband.

Ensure all public housing provides free broadband services to residents.

Ensure people with disabilities have full access to the internet.

Aggressively enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure the

accessibility of the Internet, cloud-based applications, and internet-
connected devices.

Ensure full Section 508 compliance, including making sure government

agencies can receive ASL video calls from deaf people.

Ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Develop regulations to expand the availability and quality of closed

captioning and audio description on internet platforms.

Reinforce and expand the national and state equipment distribution

programs for people with disabilities.

Reinforce and expand the availability and quality of accessible modern

telecom services to ensure everyone who needs these services receives
them.

Expand the E-Rate and Rural Health Support programs to ensure all schools,
libraries, hospitals and other essential community facilities are connected
equitably and affordably.

Provide dedicated funding to ensure these facilities on Tribal Lands are

connected.

Dramatically Lower
Costs
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The problem goes beyond a lack of basic access to internet services. Access to high-
speed internet means nothing if you cannot afford your bill. Microsoft found an
estimated 163 million people in this country might not currently use the internet at
minimum broadband speeds. That’s because the internet in this country costs too
damn much. American consumers who are connected are forced to pay more for less.
The United States ranks 10th of 28 countries in average broadband speeds and 18th
out of 23 countries in fixed broadband prices, charging double the prices of many
peer countries.

Only 54 percent of households with incomes below $20,000 have home internet,
compared to nearly 90 percent of households with incomes above $100,000.
Affordability and digital literacy are major barriers to internet usage for low-income
households and seniors. The internet was invented in America. We should be the
world leader in providing fast, affordable service. We must also invest in digital
adoption and literacy, ensuring when affordable service is provided, all can fully
utilize the benefits.

Large internet service providers have enjoyed government funding, protection from
competition, and light regulation while gouging customers with some of the highest
prices for service in the world. Bernie will regulate these providers like a utility. The
FCC will review prices and regulate rates where necessary, ensuring areas without
competition aren’t able to run up prices. We will also require providers to offer a basic
plan for a regulated rate to all customers, ensuring everyone will be able to affordably
connect to the internet.

As president, Bernie will:

Require that all internet service providers offer a Basic Internet Plan that provides
quality broadband speeds at an affordable price.

Increase the FCC definition of minimum broadband speeds to 100mbps

download speeds and 10mbps upload speeds.

Use broad categorical eligibility (those who qualify for SNAP, Medicaid,
TANF, and other assistance programs) to fully subsidize this monthly plan
for low-income households.

Instruct the FCC to regulate broadband internet rates so households and small
businesses are connected affordably.

Eliminate data caps and ban throttling.

Protect and expand the Lifeline program to connect low-income households to

the internet.

Provide $500 million per year for digital inclusiveness.

Grants will be distributed to schools, libraries, community centers, senior

centers, and other community-based programs to promote digital literacy,
adoption, and inclusivity.

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Break Up and Regulate Internet and Cable

Monopolies
Telecom and cable monopolies exploit their dominant market power to gouge
consumers and lobby government at all levels to keep out competition. Just four
companies control nearly two-thirds of the entire market. Prices are as much as 25
percent higher than they would be in a competitive broadband market. Large ISP
monopolies report inaccurate or overstated coverage information, obscure their
prices, and often don’t deliver promised speeds.

Bernie foresaw what deregulation and consolidation of cable giants would do to

consumers. He was one of just a handful of Congressmembers to vote against the
1996 Telecommunications Act, arguing against the bill on the House floor:

“Mr. Chairman, this telecommunications bill cripples consumer protections and

should be soundly rejected. It is being touted as pro-consumer when, in reality, it will
cause inflated rates and will limit consumer choice. It is touted as pro-competition
when it actually promotes mergers and the concentration of power.”

This legislation set the groundwork for the light touch regulation and monopolization
of the broadband market that we see today. We will break these monopolies up and
closely regulate them to ensure they are providing consumers with acceptable
service, and eliminate hidden fees, surprise bills, and other consumer-gouging
practices.

As president, Bernie will:

Use existing antitrust authority to break up internet service provider and cable
monopolies.

Bar service providers from also providing content and unwind

anticompetitive vertical conglomerates.

Classify broadband providers as common carriers under Title II and reinstate net
neutrality regulations.

Work with Congress to codify net neutrality protections into law to prevent
a future FCC from repealing them once again.

Appoint members of the FCC who will use Title II authority to promote
competition, choice, and affordability for broadband service.

Require price transparency, advertised speed accuracy, and granular service

data for large, private broadband providers.

Eliminate hidden fees, including surprise billing, and require internet and
cable providers to clearly state the cost of service, ban unexpected rate
increases, and end service termination fees.

Conduct a national broadband census and create a comprehensive, accurate

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broadband map of access, speeds, and prices.

Reinstate and expand privacy protection rules and work with privacy experts,
racial justice activists, and other stakeholders to develop and pass a digital
privacy bill of rights into law.

Reverse the Trump FCC’s anti-union “One Touch, Make Ready" (OTMR) policy
and work with unions to replace it with regulations that allows for new providers
to attach to utility poles while respecting the rights of union workers and
ensuring workplace safety.

Build Resilient Communications Networks

Our outdated and dangerous national infrastructure is not ready to withstand impacts
like floods, hurricanes, or wildfires. When extreme weather events hit, communities
can be left without the life-saving communications tools and information they need.

In September 2017, Hurricane Irma left over a million people in Puerto Rico without
power. A mere two weeks later, Hurricane Maria destroyed the island’s infrastructure
and left over 3 million inhabitants without power and without communication
networks. Maria knocked down 85 percent of above-ground telephone and internet
cables and left nearly 96 percent of cell sites without service. The island’s damaged
communication infrastructure left many without access to life-saving information.
Reports have shown that Puerto Rico’s damaged communication infrastructure
contributed to the staggering death toll. Today, the island’s communication
infrastructure has yet to be fully repaired, a direct result of this administration’s apathy
and cruelty.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy raged through 10 states, downing one in four cell towers
and leaving people with no means to communicate. As a result of the hurricane, more
than 8.5 million people in 21 states had no power.

Internet access and communications infrastructure are critical to the decade of the
Green New Deal, a ten-year, nationwide mobilization centered around justice and
equity during which climate change will be factored into virtually every area of policy.

With our $150 billion investment in resilient, affordable, publicly owned broadband
infrastructure, we willI ensure that communities stay connected during natural
disasters. This communications infrastructure will ensure first responders and
communities are ready to deal with the worst climate emergencies.

As president, Bernie will:

Perform a full review of the post-disaster response to the communications crisis
in Puerto Rico and ensure broadband and telecommunications services are
swiftly restored.

Ensure any new broadband infrastructure is resilient to the effects of climate

change.

Require large, private internet service providers to complete a broadband

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resiliency review.

Implement “dig once” policies to build dedicated fiber conduits with all road
construction and improvements projects.

Ensure disasters are not used by corporations to reap taxpayer-subsidized

profits, and that all rebuilding funding goes to restoring service and improving
resiliency.

Build a modern smart grid to ensure we have a resilient, secure, and intelligent
electric grid system that is capable of managing high amounts of renewable
energy, maximizing efficiency, and keeping our internet services up and running
during the worst climate emergencies.

SIGN UP

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movement.
No one candidate, not even the
greatest candidate you could imagine,
is capable of taking on Donald Trump
and the billionaire class alone. There is
only one way we win — and that is
together. Add your name to tell Bernie
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