Public Knowledge and TURN Submit Comments on the BEAD Program to NTIA

Public Knowledge and TURN submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. "To successfully implement the [BEAD Program], NTIA must prioritize building future-proof, open access, and municipal networks, and ensure those networks are built with high-quality jobs and adherence to net neutrality principles," said the comments. "It must also require that networks built with BEAD funds are reliable day-to-day, and resilient in the face of disasters and emergencies. Any funds used to build networks deployed in a discriminatory manner (built to provide high-speed networks in areas with higher incomes, while leaving lower-income and minority areas with older legacy networks) should be clawed back and given to entities that will build with equity in mind. Moreover, NTIA should recognize that commitments to deploy broadband are not always kept, and so should be flexible in allowing funds to be used in areas with incomplete buildout requirements." The organizations also addressed the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program, saying, "To ensure that broadband is affordable to all, NTIA must make the low-cost option broadly available and aligned with the [FCC's] Affordable Connectivity program. It must also allow and promote the use of BEAD and digital equity funds for device voucher programs, digital literacy initiatives, and state digital equity offices."