Sec. 5. Statement of policy
872 words·~4 min read·
/bill/115/s/449/is/section-5A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the policy of the United States— to promote increased public and private investment in Internet infrastructure and the creation of the conditions for universal Internet access and usage worldwide by working with— foreign governments to encourage policies to increase coverage and reduce the cost of access, including by— creating a regulatory approach that promotes a competitive market for investment and innovation in Internet infrastructure and services, including fiber optic, mobile, satellite, Wi-Fi and other connectivity technologies as well as digital financial services and other innovative services and content that can drive use; developing policies for effective, transparent and efficient spectrum allocation, ensuring adequate bandwidth is released to drive the expansion of 3G, 4G, and successive generations of data-rich mobile network services while also encouraging innovative use of wireless technologies to meet public interest goals; promoting policies that encourage infrastructure sharing and are aimed at creating incentives for network operators to share backbone, tower, and other forms of communications infrastructure, as a means to significantly lower network costs; promoting policies that encourage the integration of Internet infrastructure into traditional infrastructure projects to reduce costs, such as by laying of fiber optic cable simultaneously with road construction; promoting mechanisms for public financing of rural broadband connectivity and digital inclusion, such as transparent and well-managed universal service funds, similar to the one managed by the Federal Communications Commission, which also includes the E-Rate program, which is specifically designed to connect schools and libraries to the Internet; encouraging the creation, strengthening, and sustainment of independent agencies to regulate the telecommunications and Internet industry and ensure consultation with all stakeholders in the formulation and execution of policies and regulations; encouraging the development of national broadband access plans with specific, time-bound, and measurable goals for achieving universal affordable access, including a specific plan for bringing women, minority, and other marginalized groups online, recognizing both the unique barriers and the unique social and economic benefits associated with extending access to such groups; collecting and openly releasing timely, disaggregated data on all aspects of connectivity, coverage, and digital skills, including data on equality of access for women, minority, and other disadvantaged groups; improving affordability of Internet access devices such as smartphones and personal computers; encouraging laws and regulations that enhance privacy, freedom of expression, and other rights to ensure their relevance and effectiveness in an online era, with an emphasis on promoting a human rights-respecting approach in all Internet expansion efforts; emphasizing the importance of ensuring comparable access for persons with disabilities; promoting an open and free Internet, which is essential for creating an environment of equal opportunity where innovation can occur, and ensuring wholesale broadband infrastructure is available to all on fair and reasonable terms and in a manner which is transparent and nondiscriminatory; creating public access facilities in places such as libraries, schools, government buildings, and community centers and community Wi-Fi networks or dedicated facilities for Internet access, which in addition to providing free or low-cost access, can be ideal locations for digital literacy training, online health, banking and education services, job seeking, and access to government data and e-government services; creating and supporting research and educational networks, which are vital for connecting researchers and educators worldwide and facilitating collaboration in science, medicine, and other fields, and ensuring a stable, high-speed Internet infrastructure at universities, which is essential for the development of local technology-driven entrepreneurs; promoting access to government information and services online for purposes of disseminating information to and enabling participation by people who might not otherwise have access to information or participation, enhancing accountability, and extending the reach of the government to areas where it may have a limited presence (particularly rural areas) and for generating relevant content to draw people online; and providing technical assistance and prioritization of funding, supporting policies and programs through assistance in the form of technical expertise and experience sharing and, where appropriate, through material support and funding; international organizations and international finance institutions to increase support for activities that expand Internet access, including by— encouraging the increase of Internet access-related programs and other investments beyond the 1 to 2 percent they currently receive of all infrastructure-related investment financed by international finance institutions; and encouraging the integration of Internet infrastructure into traditional infrastructure projects, such as the laying of fiber optic cable simultaneously with road construction to reduce costs; and private companies to facilitate investment in Internet infrastructure and affordable services in the developing world, including by— offering and enhancing United States Government programs to incentivize and facilitate investment in Internet infrastructure in developing countries; encouraging companies to commit to principles of responsible business conduct, develop systems and policies that identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for adverse human rights impacts, and enhance privacy and freedom of expression; and encouraging the adoption of cooperative infrastructure-sharing policies and flexible approaches to spectrum reuse; and to promote digital literacy and other skills people will need to take advantage of expanded and improved access to Internet and close the global digital divide, including where possible, the integration by USAID of digital literacy and related skills into programming and support from USAID and the Department of State for public access facilities, such as Internet in schools, hospitals, government buildings, and other facilities as relevant.