The Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act is an essential piece of the puzzle for ensuring that every household in America has affordable broadband Internet access.  By providing communities and public-private partnerships with secured loans, lines of credit, or loan guarantees to finance broadband infrastructure investments, BIFIA will ensure that federal dollars go further and that networks will be built more quickly. The program preferences open access networks, which will mean more competition, lower prices and better service for Internet users.  As Congress recognized when it passed the American Rescue Plan to provide COVID-19 pandemic relief, broadband is essential infrastructure. Congress should therefore either pass this bill as a standalone, or include it in any infrastructure bill under consideration.