U.S. Chamber Hails House Bill to Increase Investment in Energy and Telecom

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Chamber of Commerce hailed House passage of the Reasonable Right-of-Way Fees Act of 2002 (H.R. 3258), which will help foster investment in critical infrastructure, including energy and telecommunication services.

"This bill will give a much-needed financial shot in the arm to our energy and telecommunications sectors," said Bill Kovacs, U.S. Chamber vice president of environment, technology and regulatory affairs. "Investment in our nation's infrastructure is crucial to advancing technology and increasing our quality of life."

Many obstacles to achieving such deployment remain, including the cost of obtaining rights-of-way to traverse tracts of federal land, according to the Chamber. The economic boost to the economy from high-speed broadband application could reach $500 billion per year according to a recent study. H.R. 3258 will help eliminate one of the remaining obstacles to broadband expansion by limiting the rental fees for this access to the value of the land rather than the value of the commerce flowing over the lines.

The Chamber believes that gains in business productivity are largely due to the information technology boom over the last decade. The expansion of broadband infrastructure represents the underlying source of these advances and is essential to the development and delivery of next-generation products, services, and conveniences to the American public.

"At a time when more Americans want affordable high-speed Internet access, this investment is a fundamental and essential step forward," said Kovacs.

The Chamber urged the House to act favorably on this legislation, which would curb misguided efforts to alleviate near-term budget requirements at the long-term expense of the national economy.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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