President Barack Obama is set to announce efforts to kickstart investment in broadband infrastructure, targeting regulation that hampers local communities and businesses.
The White House released a fact sheet on Tuesday evening detailing the president's plans to encourage investment in broadband infrastructure across the country. As part of the initiative, Obama is calling for the elimination of laws in 19 states that he claims stifle competition in the broadband service market.
The effort will include a new initiative from the Department of Commerce called BroadbandUSA, which will offer assistance to communities seeking to improve broadband infrastructure. The president is also calling for the elimination of unnecessary federal regulation, and creation of a new Broadband Opportunity Council of governmental agencies that will attempt to bolster broadband deployment.
Obama is slated to announce the efforts on Wednesday during a speech in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The president has been traveling the country ahead of his upcoming State of the Union address and on Monday announced new data privacy initiatives.
U.S. broadband Internet service typically ranks relatively low compared to other countries when it comes to availability and quality. While U.S. data speeds measure up well against those of other major countries, U.S. consumers tend to pay higher prices than their foreign counterparts.
Broadband providers in the U.S. typically have a near monopoly, meaning they have no price competition. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has repeatedly discussed the need for greater competition in broadband service. Around 80% of Americans only have one broadband provider that can deliver 25 megabytes per second speed, Wheeler has noted.