Hickenlooper, Capito, Peters, Moran Cheer Unanimous Senate Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Boost Broadband Supply Chain

NET Act will ensure broadband projects, like those from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, remain on track by identifying supply chain gaps early

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Shelley Moore Capito, Gary Peters, and Jerry Moran celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan Network Equipment Transparency (NET) Act to increase broadband supply chain transparency through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make sure federal broadband programs stay on track. The bill passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday night and will need to pass the House of Representatives before being signed into law.

"Supply chain disruptions hold back our efforts to connect every household to affordable, high-speed internet," said Hickenlooper. "Senate passage brings us a step closer to ensuring broadband projects from our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are completed on time."

"In order to effectively connect our communities, it's critical that our federal agencies work to address any potential problems that would slow or hinder this process of deployment. I'm thrilled that the NET Act passed, bringing us closer to being able to monitor the supply chain so these crucial projects can be executed in a timely manner," Capito said.

"Resilient, efficient supply chains are essential to keeping prices low and ensuring Americans can get the products they need, and that includes broadband internet," said Peters. "This bipartisan bill would fortify the investments we made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand high-speed, affordable internet by identifying issues in the broadband supply chain early, before they impact American businesses, workers, and consumers. I'll continue to fight for high-speed internet access for all Michiganders."

"Rural communities in Kansas and across the country rely heavily on access to high-speed internet," said Moran. "In this digital age, the success of family farms, businesses and even health care in rural America can depend on reliable internet. Adding transparency to the supply chains that support broadband infrastructure projects will help speed up the rollout of programs designed to increase internet activity for rural communities. I'm pleased by the passage of the NET Act in the Senate, and I urge the House of Representatives to approve this important legislation."

Previous supply chain disruptions have delayed broadband infrastructure projects. A lack of transparency into the health of the telecommunications supply chain may contribute to future equipment shortages as federal broadband programs prioritize high-speed, reliable, and accessible networks.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested billions to jumpstart broadband projects nationwide. This bill would help to identify supply chain issues earlier so they can be addressed with less impact on these ongoing projects.

Specifically, the bill would require the FCC's Communications Marketplace Report to describe to Congress the impact of supply chain disruptions on the timely completion or deployment of broadband infrastructure projects.

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

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