Two Senate resolutions address broadband access

Two resolutions sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), chairwoman of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, were advanced by the committee Wednesday in an attempt to address the deployment of broadband access in the state.

“Our state faces significant challenges in closing the digital divide,” Phillips-Hill said. “In order to make impactful investments in the future, we need to determine what has worked in the past, and which areas show the greatest need for high-speed internet. We’ve seen the state squander hundreds of millions of dollars through the failed statewide radio system. We must learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure taxpayer dollars, if used to assist with the deployment of broadband, are not wasted in the future.”

In December, Phillips-Hill said she planned to re-introduce a legislative package that would expand the availability of high-speed broadband internet service in underserved and unserved areas.

The resolutions would direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct an in-depth investigation and audit into the compliance of telecommunications carriers and would establish a commission to recommend improvements for the deployment of high-speed internet.

Bills passed in 1993 and 2004 established the goal of providing residents with a modern broadband telecommunications network by 2015.

The resolutions now move to the full Senate floor for further consideration.