The House of Representatives is marking up the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package, and the Senate recently passed a $1 trillion infrastructure package of its own.

The Senate package contains nearly $65 billion in spending on broadband, including $42.5 billion allocated for a grant program to expand access. $14.2 billion would subsidize connections for low-income people. But Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr thinks this additional spending is unnecessary. “The reality is we have enough money that has either been appropriated by Congress or budgeted by various agencies to bridge the digital divide multiple times over.” He went on to say that if you broaden out to look at the money that is available for infrastructure including broadband, there is $800 billion available.