NATE Statement on Passage of Senate Infrastructure Legislation
NATE Statement on Passage of Senate Infrastructure Legislation
(Washington, D.C.) – NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association issued the following statement after the United States Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act:
“NATE welcomes passage of the Senate infrastructure legislation, which includes historic levels of funding for broadband infrastructure and deployment. For nearly 25 years, NATE has advocated that communications infrastructure projects that allow for the rapid flow of information and data are just as important as infrastructure projects providing for the flow of travel and goods,” said Todd Washam, NATE Director of Government Relations and Wireless Industry Network. “NATE commends President Biden and a bipartisan group of Senators for their leadership and commitment to securing passage of legislation that includes $65 billion in funding for communications infrastructure projects, which will go a long way toward providing high speed internet and communications services to rural, unserved, and underserved communities.”
“NATE is also pleased that several of NATE’s legislative priorities were included as amendments in this legislation. These initiatives will help provide for a skilled communications workforce and ensure transparency and accountability of federally funded broadband projects,” continued Washam. “Senator Thune’s Telecommunications Skilled Workforce provision will help our industry meet the enormous demands for broadband and closing the digital divide resulting from this important legislation. And Senator Fischer’s amendment, which would require the Federal Communications Commission to provide maps of federally funded broadband projects, would ensure there is transparency and accountability as Congress appropriates billions in funding for broadband infrastructure. In addition to the funding provided in the Senate infrastructure package, there are multiple agencies working on broadband infrastructure, and mapping tools will help ensure that inter-agency issues do not get in the way of deploying broadband projects to rural, unserved, and underserved communities.”
“NATE congratulates President Biden and Senators Sinema (D-AZ), Portman (R-OH), Romney (R-UT) and Manchin (D-WV) and the other bipartisan negotiators who fought for these important policies and worked to ensure that broadband funding was prioritized in this legislation. NATE urges the House of Representatives to consider this critical legislation without delay and send the package to President Biden for his signature,” added Washam.
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About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association dedicated to providing a unified voice for companies in the diverse tower and communications infrastructure construction, service and maintenance industries. Today the Association boasts over 1,065 member companies located throughout the United States, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, China, Guam, Israel, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and the United Kingdom. For additional information on NATE, please visit natehome.com.
Contact: Todd Washam
(605) 882-5865
