More By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. Legislation Looks To Spur Broadband Deployment In an effort to expand broadband access and help close the digital divide, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and Congresswoman Cindy Axne (IA-03), a member of the House Rural Broadband Task Force, have introduced H.R. 1700, the Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (BIFIA). Modeled after two effective federal programs, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), BIFIA would provide $5 billion in federal funding for low-interest financing of broadband infrastructure deployment projects. This new program would allow eligible entities, including state and local governments and public-private partnerships, to apply for secured loans, lines of credit, and loan guarantees to finance broadband infrastructure projects.