PRINTER'S NO. 2826
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
630
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY SNYDER, PHILLIPS-HILL, BIZZARRO, DAVIS, DRISCOLL,
MILLARD, READSHAW, RAPP, SCHWEYER, GROVE, IRVIN AND PEIFER,
DECEMBER 19, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, DECEMBER 19, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Federal Communications Commission to favorably
consider the joint petition filed by the Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission and the Department of Community and
Economic Development and to increase access to high-speed
Internet service in underserved areas of Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has a long-standing commitment to
broadband deployment, especially in rural communities; and
WHEREAS, In April 2017, the Pennsylvania Public Utility
Commission (PUC) and the Department of Community and Economic
Development (DCED) filed a joint petition with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) as part of an ongoing effort to
address Pennsylvania's "digital divide" by preserving millions
of dollars in Federal funding intended to increase access to
high-speed Internet service in rural communities across this
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Funding for the Connect America Fund Phase II (CAF
II) program is drawn from the Federal universal service
surcharges paid by State residents and businesses; and
WHEREAS, The CAF II program is intended to support the
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deployment of broadband service in high-cost areas, including
many rural communities; and
WHEREAS, Most incumbent local telephone companies serving
Pennsylvania's high-cost areas accepted the CAF II funding,
along with the commitment to meet Federal benchmarks for
broadband speed (10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload), but
Verizon companies did not; and
WHEREAS, The FCC plans to conduct an auction to allocate the
broadband funding that was not accepted by Verizon and hopefully
the FCC will consider the joint petition by the PUC and DCED to
approve a Pennsylvania-specific weighting factor to the upcoming
CAF II auction; and
WHEREAS, A total of 31 counties face the loss of at least $1
million in funding for broadband deployment, including
Allegheny, Beaver, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Chester, Clarion,
Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest,
Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mercer,
Mifflin, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Venango, Warren,
Wayne, Washington, Westmoreland and York; and
WHEREAS, Eight counties could lose $5 million or more in
funding for high-speed Internet enhancements, including Centre,
Clearfield, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lycoming, Somerset, Warren,
Washington; and
WHEREAS, There appears to be a growing gap between
Pennsylvania communities and businesses that have access to
higher broadband speeds and those that do not; and
WHEREAS, Without the modifications requested by Pennsylvania
under CAF II, rural consumers are at risk of losing the full and
current Federal public support to receive modern broadband
services because of a private business decision; and
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WHEREAS, If the request under the joint petition is declined,
these funds could be reallocated outside Pennsylvania, further
sanctioning the digital divide that these funds were designed to
remedy in the first place; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Federal Communications
Commission to favorably consider the joint petition filed by the
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the Department of
Community and Economic Development and to increase access to
high-speed Internet service in underserved areas of
Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania encourage businesses, local leaders
and other concerned parties, especially in rural communities, to
support efforts to preserve the approximately $140 million in
funding intended to increase access to high-speed Internet
service in underserved areas of Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the Chairperson of the Federal Communications Commission, the
Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the
Secretary of Community and Economic Development and members of
the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation.
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