Rockefeller adds broadband incentives to stimulus [Jan-29-2009] The Martinsburg Journal MARTINSBURG - Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a long-standing advocate for improved broadband access in the nation and especially West Virginia, is already finding continued success with the new Obama administration. That's because Rockefeller, D-W.Va., offered an amendment to the stimulus bill and it was accepted Wednesday by the Senate Finance Committee. "As a nation, we're lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to investing in broadband infrastructure - especially in our rural areas. I know what a challenge this is in the Eastern Panhandle," Rockefeller said. "Many people in Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson counties don't have access to what has fast become an essential service and a fundamental need in today's world," he said. "By giving tax credits to companies and grants to local communities that make investments in our rural areas, we're one step closer to ensuring that these communities are no longer disconnected," he said. Rockefeller proposed establishing a 10 percent tax credit for investments in current-generation broadband infrastructure in rural and underserved areas; a 20 percent credit for current-generation broadband in areas that have no access at all now; and a 20 percent tax credit for next-generation broadband infrastructure (higher speeds) that results in faster, more reliable connections. In addition, Rockefeller worked with the Senate Appropriations Committee and the new administration to include $9 billion in the committee's version of the legislation for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to improve broadband deployment. Thanks to this funding, a mechanism was created to distribute grants to encourage deployment in areas of need, according to Rockefeller. It also funds the Broadband Data Improvement Act, which provides funding to state and public-private partnerships to map broadband deployment across the country. Fifty percent of the total funding is dedicated to rural areas, he said. Continuing these efforts is even more important because of the nation's uncertain economic times, which why Rockefeller said he "fought to include broadband tax incentives in the economic recovery legislation for companies that make technology infrastructure investments in areas that need it the most." After working for more than 10 years to "develop a national strategy for universal access to high-speed broadband," the time is right to tie this initiative to current federal efforts to stimulate the nation's economy, he said. "Keeping people connected to the world around them is a vital part of making our economy stronger," Rockefeller. "Broadband access links people to so many possibilities. It helps small businesses grow, creates jobs, helps our students learn and improves access to health care," he said. All parts of the nation deserve access to this technology, especially rural areas in West Virginia that can benefit from increased accessibility, Rockefeller said. "It is imperative that we expand this critical technology infrastructure to all parts of the United States. Broadband expansion will boost economic activity nationwide, and it would help ensure that communities across West Virginia have the technology - and the opportunities - they deserve," he said.   Back to News