Senators move to help and hinder rollout of broadband funding

Both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have made moves in recent weeks to address how the federal government is spending broadband funds... in different ways. Starting with the Democrats, two high-ranking senators penned a letter to Commerce leaders last week to express concern and request answers about stalled funding from the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. The TBCP, a nearly $3 billion grant program, was created with $980 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and $2 billion from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to help close the digital divide for communities on tribal land. Another area where broadband leaders have been seeking clarification is on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program's "non-deployment" funds. As per the 2021 infrastructure law that created BEAD, any BEAD funds allocated to a state not used for infrastructure deployment purposes can be used to help accelerate deployments and connect people to the Internet. Now, one Republican senator appears poised to help the NTIA in its perceived mission to take those funds back from the states. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has drafted legislation that seeks to "amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require remaining funds under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program to be used for deficit reduction."