SHLB & Benton Urge NTIA to Defer to States In Defining Anchors Under BEAD

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society have submitted a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration urging the agency to provide states with broad deference and expansive flexibility to determine which locations qualify as a community anchor institution under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. SHLB and Benton argue that such broad deference and expansive flexibility will conform NTIA’s policies to the intent of the IIJA and ensure that BEAD projects more completely respond to the direct and sometimes unique needs of the community and enhance the efficiency of broadband deployment in all underserved and underserved areas. The oranizations write, “We urge NTIA to defer to states’ expertise and knowledge of their communities when making decisions about what locations fit the definition of ‘community anchor institution’. Congress recognized that states are best situated to solve the connectivity challenges facing their communities.”