Thursday, January 23, 2025
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Today in Congress: Strengthening American Leadership in Wireless Technology
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With President Trump now in office, what about BEAD?
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The directive in section 7 of the Executive Order entitled Unleashing American Energy requires agencies to immediately pause disbursement of funds appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58). This pause only applies to funds supporting programs, projects, or activities that may be implicated by the policy established in Section 2 of the order. This interpretation is consistent with section 7’s heading (“Terminating the Green New Deal”) and its reference to the “law and the policy outlined in section 2 of th[e] order.” For the purposes of implementing section 7 of the Order, funds supporting the “Green New Deal” refer to any appropriations for objectives that contravene the policies established in section 2. Agency heads may disburse funds as they deem necessary after consulting with the Office of Management and Budget.

With President Donald Trump back in the White House, it’s only a matter of time before the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program gets the overhaul everyone’s anticipating. But first things first, Trump needs to appoint a National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) administrator to succeed Alan Davidson. According to Chad Duval, a partner at accounting firm Moss Adams, rumor has it the new BEAD boss will likely be Arielle Roth, policy director of telecommunications on the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. Roth's current position means she works for committee chair Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who is no fan at all of the current BEAD program. Trump has already issued a slew of executive orders in his first few days in office, including one freezing new federal regulations until new administrators are put in place. Given states need the green light from NTIA before releasing their BEAD Final Proposal and list of grant winners, their deployment plans could come to a screeching halt.

Congress created the new Broadband Data Collection (BDC) maps with the passage of the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act (the Broadband DATA Act). This created the requirement for the new mapping system that replaced the old system of reporting maps called the 477 process. One of the requirements of the Broadband DATA Act is that internet service providers (ISPs) have to engage a professional engineer to certify that the data submitted to the FCC is accurate. There was an instant industry outcry, particularly among smaller ISPs, who said this added additional cost to the process. Many small ISPs said they would have a problem even finding a professional engineer since they designed and built their own networks and didn’t use engineers. The FCC agreed and issued a waiver for the engineering requirement for data due to the FCC in June 2022, December 2022, and June 2023. The FCC issued a second waiver a few years later that covered the December 2023, June 2024, and December 2024 FCC filings. That waiver has now expired, and if the FCC doesn’t issue another waiver this requirement will go into effect with the filing for the June 2025 data. The issue might come to a head this year because the FCC can’t continually make waivers for a requirement created by Congress. By this summer, the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant process will largely be over in terms of mapping, and there is no longer much incentive for the FCC to continue the waiver.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Announces $700 Million in Awards for Broadband Infrastructure Projects

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced awards totaling $701.9 million for the second round of the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas Program (BOOT II), aimed at bridging the digital divide and enhancing broadband access for unserved and underserved communities across the state. This initiative, funded partly by the federal Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and supplemented by voter-approved state revenue, was established to connect more than 95,000 unserved locations to high-speed, reliable internet. BOOT II is a competitive grant program designed to support countywide infrastructure projects that, when completed, will provide broadband service to homes and businesses currently lacking reliable internet access. Of the $701.9 million available to be awarded for BOOT II, the BDO has finalized agreements totaling more than $424.6 million, which will cover projects in 13 of the 24 selected counties and connect more than 54,000 locations to high-speed, reliable internet service. The counties are Bastrop, Carson, Coleman, Edwards, Falls, Irion, Karnes, Liberty, Morris, Newton, Reagan, Throckmorton and Trinity. The BDO is in the process of finalizing awards for an additional nine counties which will connect almost 39,000 additional unserved locations.

Delaware is on pace to become the first state with universal high-speed internet access, thanks to $17.4 million in federal money. State officials announced construction will begin in late spring to build infrastructure in the remaining areas without internet access or government-funded services. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long (D-DE) and the Delaware Department of Technology and Information Delaware Broadband Office announced on January 14 that construction will begin in June to connect more than 5,700 homes and businesses that lack reliable internet service. "Most of the homes and businesses to be connected with these funds are in our state’s rural areas, and they have been living a different life than the rest of us in terms of being able to use the internet for work, school, healthcare and entertainment,” Gov Hall-Long said.
State of Maine Invests $5 Million to Create More Opportunity through Internet Education and Digital Tools

Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), the public agency leading the statewide expansion of broadband and digital equity in Maine, has opened a competitive grant program for Maine-based organizations. The program will enable greater opportunities for individuals and communities through access to digital skills, devices, internet safety education, and technical support. In the first phase of the Digital Opportunity Networks grant program application, MCA is accepting letters of intent from nonprofits, state agencies, local and Tribal governments and similar public entities. The program will fund networks of partners that can integrate digital education and technical assistance into their ongoing programs and supports, effectively reaching Maine people who face the most barriers to connectivity. MCA will evaluate grant applications using program criteria and allocate funding to organizations that demonstrate the ability to execute effectively, meet critical needs, and deliver widespread, positive impact. Interested applicants should join the next information session on January 23 at 2:15 pm to learn more. MCA will share a recording of the meeting afterward. The Digital Opportunity Networks grant program is part of addressing Maine’s ambitious goals identified in the statewide Digital Equity Plan. Achieving these goals would mean that everyone in Maine has the ability to access the internet and understands how to leverage the benefits of connectivity, particularly for targeted groups like older adults, veterans, and English-language learners.

Two more states — Michigan and Maine — are now accepting applications for funding in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) rural broadband program. In addition, Colorado plans to begin accepting applications for the state’s second round of BEAD funding on January 27. Providers have until April 9 to apply for funding in Michigan, which has a total budget of over $1.5 billion in BEAD funding. The deadline to apply for funding in Maine, which has $272 million to award, is February 28. The deadline in Colorado’s second round is February 28. Colorado was allotted $827 million in BEAD funding. BEAD funding will cover some of the costs of deploying broadband to unserved and underserved locations. The scoring criteria for the Michigan and the Maine programs include the categories required by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), such as “minimal BEAD program outlay,” fair labor practices, speed to deployment, affordability, “local support and community engagement,” and more.

Marylanders Online, a state-funded digital literacy initiative led by the University of Maryland Extension (UME) in partnership with the College of Information, entered its third year in 2024. Leading several of the state’s digital literacy efforts, Marylanders Online focused the year on resource curation, grassroots community engagement, and capacity-building. These efforts, added to the program’s expanding portfolio of digital classes and programs, have made 2024 a year of notable growth and achievements for Marylanders Online. Key achievements in 2024 include reaching 14,134 individuals through 224 digital skills classes and 177 community events, training 211 digital navigators, and cultivating a robust network of 181 partners in digital equity. These strategic collaborations have enabled the program to effectively reach underserved communities, most notably immigrant and disabled populations, and limited-English language, rural, and low-income populations. The program's dedicated tech support helpline handled 18,159 calls, providing essential tech support and bilingual assistance to 9 percent of callers, further demonstrating Maryland’s commitment to digital inclusivity. The program has successfully adapted programming, services, and targeted outreach to meet the unique needs of diverse communities across Maryland.

Sometimes, less is better. That applies to the assets Verizon brought to the Los Angeles (CA) area during the devastating wildfires these past couple weeks. Verizon often deploys its Tactical Humanitarian Operations Response (THOR) vehicle when reacting to disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. But not so in LA. “THOR’s not needed because the assets we have in place are doing a fantastic job,” said Cory Davis, VP at Verizon Frontline. “What we’re trying to do is actually shrink our footprint, so we’re not disrupting what’s coming in,” such as assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Given that fire trucks had trouble getting around after people fled for their lives – leaving stranded vehicles that had to be removed with bulldozers – Verizon decided to leave THOR at a site in Texas where other large deployable assets are being staged. Verizon brought plenty of smaller assets to the scene, including portable generators and temporary cell sites. The cell sites are temporary until Verizon and others can rebuild with permanent infrastructure. Ericsson is the dominant wireless infrastructure vendor in the LA market. Verizon and T-Mobile both use Ericsson in LA. AT&T is swapping out equipment across the U.S. after deciding in 2023 to go with Ericsson’s open Radio Access Network (RAN) technology and to remove Nokia, a process that is now underway and expected to be complete in 2026.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced the appointment of Acting Bureau leadership as well as the Acting General Counsel and Managing Director. The full list of these appointments is as followed:
- Joel Taubenblatt, Acting Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
- Trent Harkrader, Acting Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau
- Erin Boone, Acting Chief of the Media Bureau
- Debra Jordan, Acting Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
- Jacob Lewis, Acting General Counsel
- Patrick Webre, Acting Chief of the Enforcement Bureau
- Eduard Bartholme, Acting Chief of the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
- Mark Stephens, Managing Director
Chairman Carr will make additional personnel announcements, including for all Office leadership positions, in a separate release

Pursuant to the Executive Orders titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and the Executive Order titled “Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” issued by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission is rescinding its Equity Action Plan and all related materials and has discontinued www.fcc.gov/equity.

DEI is a scourge on our institutions. It denies to all Americans the Constitution’s promise of equality before the law. It divides people into castes on the basis of immutable characteristics, and treats them as caste members rather than as individuals. It stokes tensions by elevating race and other immutable characteristics above merit and excellence. It promotes invidious discrimination. And it violates federal and natural law. I taken the following actions to protect the FTC’s employees and the American people from DEI:
- Closed the FTC’s DEI office—the Office of Workplace Inclusivity and Opportunity—and has placed all employees within that office on administrative leave.
- Terminated the Diversity Council.
- Removed materials promoting DEI on the Commission’s website.
- Ordered a review of all FTC contracts, which concluded that no FTC contracts currently in force contained DEI ideology.
- Ordered the heads of the Commission’s Bureaus and Offices to conduct an internal audit by tomorrow to ensure total compliance with President Trump’s orders, and to terminate any noncompliant programs immediately.
- Ordered an immediate review of all Commission orders to ensure that the Biden Administration’s DEI dictates did not make their way into formal Commission decisions.
- Forbid the Commission from promoting DEI in any internal or external operations, rules, law-enforcement decisions, or hiring decisions.
President Trump Nominates Michael Kratsios to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

President Donald Trump has nominated Michael Kratsios to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Michael Kratsios is the former Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He was the Department’s Chief Technology Officer and was responsible for the research, development, and prototyping activities across the DoD enterprise, and was mandated with ensuring technological superiority for the Department of Defense. He oversaw the activities of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Innovation Unit, the Space Development Agency, the DoD Laboratory enterprise, and the Under Secretariat staff focused on developing advanced technology and capability for the U.S. military. As the Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Kratsios advises President Trump on a broad range of technology policy issues and drives United States technology priorities and strategic initiatives. He has led the development and execution of the Administration’s National technology policy agenda since 2017.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and Zoe Walker (zwalker AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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