Institute for Local Self Reliance

Rural cooperatives have been the backbone of modern efforts to bring affordable next-generation fiber to long-neglected rural U.S.

The Illinois Legislature has taken several major legal steps to not only improve broadband affordability in The Prairie State, but empower local cooperatives to expand affordable, reliable fiber access to state residents long trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide. Illinois State Sen.

The Trump administration continues to give muddled guidance in terms of the whopping $21 billion in “non-deployment” funds states should have at their disposal from the “savings” created by unwelcome changes to the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.

When Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it sought to foster innovation and competition in telecommunications markets, expand the definition of universal service, and modernize regulatory structures for the digital age. Three decades later, architects of the ‘96 Act say it achieved many of those goals, but numerous legal challenges following its passage reshaped how key provisions were implemented.

Close to a 1,000 broadband-minded registrants attended a listening session on how to spend an estimated $21 billion in “non-deployment” funds states should have at their disposal from the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. Hosted by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration, the online listening session featured about 50 selected speakers. 

Institute for Local Self Reliance's Chris Mitchell welcomes back Gigi Sohn, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Senior Fellow and Public Advocate, for a fast-paced reaction to recent testimony by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Former Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Director Evan Feinman talks about the turmoil brewing inside the BEAD program. What’s really behind the push for more satellite connectivity, the threat of sidelining state-led fiber projects, and the political forces stalling progress? Are we about to squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity? 

With the new administration taking over federal programs, some companies and organizations are trying to change the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to focus on technologies that are cheaper to build initially but may charge more to residents while delivering much less. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is running the $42.5 BEAD program to improve rural Internet access and, as Congress required, has prioritized fiber optic network investments.