High-speed internet access in rural America could soon be a reality

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order focused on improving high-speed internet access in rural America.

Last June, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins introduced the Gigabit Opportunity Act or GO Act to promote broadband development in rural and economically disadvantaged areas.

A similar bill was introduced in the Senate last year by West Virginia Senator Shelly Moore Capito.

Collins said Northeast Georgians have been waiting for too long for meaningful infrastructure investments to bring high-speed Internet to rural areas.

Since he took office, Collins has been working with companies such as Windstream to get them to upgrade their Internet service to its residential and business customers in the Northeast Georgia area and to bring broadband to businesses in this area.

The GO Act incentivizes private investment in rural broadband by allowing companies to defer certain capital gains taxes when they convert those gains to long-term investments in broadband infrastructure within state-designated “Gigabit Opportunity Zones.”

While many rural and low-income areas lack access or are limited to a single provider, this bill also encourages market competition by enabling companies expanding infrastructure in Gigabit Opportunity Zones to expense the cost of any gigabit-capable equipment on the front end.

Additionally, the legislation encourages states and local governments to remove the burdens of outdated public policies on the broadband industry.

And it dovetails with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) plan to support government efforts to streamline broadband regulations.

In a prepared release Monday, Collins said the President is making a smart, strong investment in rural America by directing resources to develop broadband infrastructure in underserved areas.