Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., and Congressman Greg Walden, R-Ore., introduced “dig-once” broadband legislation on Thursday that would mandate conduit along new construction of federally funded roadways.
The bill, called the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2015, would require pipes be laid down for fiber-optic cables along stretches of road where there is “demonstrated need” for broadband in the next 15 years.
“Today our information highways are just as important as our interstate highways,” said Eshoo, whose congressional district is Palo Alto and the Silicon Valley. “By laying broadband conduit during construction of roads that receive federal funding, broadband providers can later install fiber-optic cable without costly excavation of newly built roads. ‘Dig once’ is a commonsense bipartisan policy that will significantly reduce the cost of broadband deployment in our country.”
Walden is chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee; Eshoo is the ranking member.
