Thanks to New Guidance, We're Pouring Billions into a Broadband Program That's Doomed to Fail

The federal government is pouring $42.5 billion into funding broadband infrastructure across the country so that all Americans can get online. But five months after we should have broken ground on the new broadband networks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hit reset on the entire program. The new rules he released won't bring us any closer to closing the digital divide—in fact, they'll undo years of progress toward that goal. The new guidance for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program forces all states—red and blue—to redo the results of years of planning on a draconian 90-day timeline. Many states had already selected internet providers based on thoughtful evaluations that considered local areas' needs. Now, all of those choices are moot, and states are scrambling to make new ones. Worse, providers must now bid on projects nationwide all at once, undoing the previous region-by-region approach that let them realistically assess where they could build. We're about to see a perfect storm of rushed decisions from states and providers who don't have all the information they need. The likely outcome? Worse quality internet at higher prices for consumers.

[Jessica Dine is a Policy Analyst at New America's Open Technology Institute]