Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce released revised rules for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, a $42.25 billion federal-state partnership established by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to deploy broadband networks to every unserved location in the U.S. The following statement can be attributed to leadership of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society:

“Through the BEAD Program, the Affordable Connectivity Program, and the Digital Equity Act, Congress initiated the most comprehensive effort in our history to close the digital divide,” said Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Revati Prasad. “With these tools, we could have finally ensured that all Americans can access, afford, and effectively use reliable, high-speed internet. But over the last year, policymakers have weakened that commitment. Congress allowed the ACP to expire, raising the cost of broadband for 23 million American households. President Trump unilaterally ended Digital Equity Act programs that would have helped seniors, rural residents, veterans, and so many others develop the skills they need to make use of the internet to improve their lives. Now, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is shifting BEAD so rural America will once again be left stuck with slow, unreliable, and expensive satellite internet access. This is a betrayal of rural America.”

“Secretary Lutnick’s actions will cement the digital divide for decades,” said Director of Policy Engagement Drew Garner. “He is hurting our economic competitiveness, our healthcare and education, and our ability to work and stay connected with loved ones. He is denying rural Americans access to the modern economy and our increasingly connected world.

“Secretary Lutnick wants to invest in the “cheapest” broadband infrastructure, not the best broadband infrastructure. It’s a self-inflicted wound to American competitiveness. China and Europe are going all in on fiber to position themselves for AI. Under Secretary Lutnick, America is getting cheap, unreliable networks. That’s the definition of penny-wise, pound-foolish.

“Long-term infrastructure investment shouldn’t be cheap, it should be smart. Fiber-based broadband networks will last longer, provide better, more reliable service, and scale to meet communities’ ever-growing connectivity needs. NTIA’s new guidance is shortsighted and will undermine economic development in rural America for decades to come.”

Contact:

Drew Garner
dgarner@benton.org

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-220-4531
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