Under the surface of Washington’s negotiations over infrastructure – and buried in jargon like "municipal networks" and "overbuilding" – is a debate about how Americans may get their internet in the years ahead.
Will your broadband bill come from a purely private company or will it be more like a public utility?
The Biden administration wants to at least nudge the country toward the latter.
The effort is being led by Vice President Kamala Harris and one aspect of the administration's plan would encourage government-owned broadband networks. In other words, they want to prod more cities to set up shop and offer service directly.
As of January, there are more than 560 communities served by some form of a municipal network with many operating alongside private service providers.
A fact sheet released by the White House in March suggests that number could rise with passage of the American Jobs Act. The plan “prioritizes support for broadband networks owned, operated by, or affiliated with local governments, non-profits, and co-operatives,” and would move toward “lifting barriers that prevent municipally-owned or affiliated providers and rural electric co-ops from competing on an even playing field with private providers.”
“I'm very proud to lead our administration's effort to get this done,” Harris said at an event Monday at the White House, of the overall plan.