Federal Broadband Programs

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and ACA Connects–America’s Communications Association submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding the agency’s proposed guidance on the use of alternative broadband technologies in deployment projects funded by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.  NTCA and ACA Connects urged NTIA, in enabling the use of alternative technologies, to:

We don’t need any more delays in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant process, but there are potential delays on the horizon due to the political calendar. What do I mean by political calendar? There is going to be a new president in the White House, and that means a change in many of the people who run various cabinets and agencies. It could mean a new head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is run by an Assistant Secretary of Commerce.

Consolidated Communications has won over $200 million in broadband funding, said the company’s vice president of market development, Sarah Davis. Most of the broadband funding that Consolidated has received was for New England, where the company is a major provider, Davis said. The company is currently gearing up to bid for funding in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program in several states that it serves, she added. Consolidated’s latest win was $11.8 million through New Hampshire’s Broadband Matching Grant Initiative (BMGI) Program.

On September 10, 2024, the House Commerce Committee's Communications and Technology Subcommittee held an oversight hearing focused on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. BEAD was established with $42.5 billion by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Congress charged the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) with implementing BEAD which provides grants to states to deploy broadband in unserved and underserved areas.

Efforts to expand high-speed internet access in Wisconsin have hit a political roadblock, stalled by partisan infighting, according to Democratic Assembly members. A budget proposal made by Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI)) seeking $750 million in state funding to supplement federal broadband dollars was removed during the final stages from the state’s 2023-25 budget by Republican lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee. Rep.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative is delivering on its promise to connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service by 2030. Since the President took office, more than 2.4 million previously unserved homes and small businesses have been connected to high-speed Internet service. Below are highlights of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) achievements under the Biden-Harris Administration. 

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) announced that certain Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) census block groups (CBG) are now eligible for other funding programs.

The three-year anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is fast approaching. Zero households have been connected through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, IIJA’s signature $42.5B broadband program that aims to bring universal internet service to all Americans. While all infrastructure programs take years to implement, BEAD’s pace has led to increased congressional scrutiny of the program. Whether or not the BEAD program is off track is a point of contention amongst stakeholders.

If the proposed recombination of Windstream and Uniti is completed, the combined company could win Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding for fiber builds to 500,000 locations. Windstream has a strong focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, where locations are most likely to be eligible for BEAD funding. The company also may have a cost advantage in comparison with other companies that might want to bid for BEAD funding to serve the same locations. The company has been touting its comparatively low average fiber deployment cost of $650 per passing.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved New Jersey’s Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.  The BEAD program is a $42.45 billion state grant program authorized by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. New Jersey was allocated over $263 million to deploy or upgrade high-speed Internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service.