HAPPY 25TH

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) reintroduced the National Broadband Plan for the Future Act on Sunday, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the 1996 Telecommunications Act which transformed broadband deployment.

The legislation calls for the Federal Communications Commission to update the national broadband plan in a way that addresses concerns about internet access highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit on Monday, Markey stressed the importance of the bipartisan effort two decades ago as lawmakers crafted the bill. He said he is hopeful there is bipartisan support in Congress to update national broadband plans.

“I’ve always believed that essentially telecommunications policy is bipartisan — should be bipartisan. You have to work hard to make it ideological,” Markey said.

“My hope is that we’ll be able to really move forward in a way that reflects the ultimate need for bipartisanship,” he added.