Nat Purser

The Commerce Department is considering changes to the distribution of the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program that could significantly delay broadband deployment and redirect billions away from fiber and fixed wireless in favor of Low-Earth Orbit satellite services like Starlink’s. LEO satellites have distinct advantages in remote areas, but they also have technical & economic tradeoffs that would undermine BEAD’s long-term goals of reliable, scalable broadband access.

In March 2024, the Federal Communications Commission circulated a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM, seeking input on how to best “lower costs and address the lack of choice for broadband services available to households in apartments, condos, public housing, and other multi-tenant buildings.” Public Knowledge and 30 other organizations

On April 25, the Federal Communications Commission will vote to reinstate the net neutrality rules and resume real regulatory oversight over broadband. It is critical that the text of this reinstated regulatory framework does not inadvertently undermine its own objectives in regards to broadband affordability.