Today, March 5, the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing titled “Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunders.” This title, chosen by wordsmiths in the Republican majority, hints at the policy direction the current Administration and Congress might take: undermining progress towards universal connectivity. As you review the record, you might ask, ‘What were Biden’s blunders?’ and ‘What exactly are the proposed fixes?’

Progress is No “Blunder”

President Biden invested more in broadband than any president in history. Most of his administration’s programs were completed (or nearly completed) while he was in office. But his largest programs—the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) and the Digital Equity Act Programs—are unfinished. Thus, it is left to the current Administration and Congress to decide how (or even if) these programs should be completed.

Before we consider future possibilities, let’s look back at Biden’s broadband record.

American Rescue Plan Act Broadband Programs (Enacted March 2021)

• The Capital Projects Fund (CPF) allocated $10 billion to states and territories to support broadband infrastructure, adoption, and facilities that enable work, education, and health monitoring. By July 2024, CPF had connected 1.5 million previously unserved locations. In 2026, that number will surpass 2 million. And, in addition to these connections, CPF is also being used to create device programs, wire apartment buildings, improve schools and hospitals, and upgrade municipal networks. Most of this work is well underway, if not already complete.

• The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) allocated $350 billion to states and territories to support a range of pandemic recovery efforts, including expanding broadband. Examples include: $500 million to bring broadband infrastructure and adoption efforts to 150,000 unserved households in Tennessee; $47 million to improve connectivity for Indiana’s schools, student homes, and rural hospitals; and $10 million to bring high-speed symmetrical service to islands in Samoa. A full accounting would take pages, but, suffice to say, SLFRF was a powerful and versatile program for addressing all aspects of the digital divide.

• The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) provided $7 billion to schools and libraries to support student and library patron connectivity. ECF connected over 18 million students and provided them with high-quality devices and home connectivity. Much of this progress occurred during the pandemic when schools were closed and the only way students could attend classes was virtually. If not for the ECF, learning loss would have been much greater.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Broadband Programs (Enacted November 2021)

• The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a $14 billion consumer subsidy, helped over one in six U.S. households afford internet service, many for the first time. The vast majority of ACP enrollees were (and likely remain) in very difficult financial situations, and ACP’s support meant that they no longer had to sacrifice things like car payments or healthcare to afford internet service. What’s more, research has consistently shown that the ACP likely paid for itself in terms of better economic, health, and education outcomes.

• The Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program provided $1 billion to expand middle mile infrastructure and thereby reduce the cost of connecting unserved and underserved areas. Projects are already underway to deploy over 12,500 miles of new fiber in 370 counties across 40 states and Puerto Rico. What’s more, the program raised over $870 million in matching funds, nearly doubling the original allocation at no additional cost to taxpayers. 

• The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program received an additional $2 billion (on top of its original $1 billion) to support projects that address all aspects of the digital divide, including infrastructure, adoption, affordability, and tribal technical capacity. Over 220 projects are already underway or completed in 27 Tribal communities, and more than 4,600 households have received access to free or low-cost high-speed internet service.

• The Digital Equity Act Programs collectively are providing nearly $3 billion to fund programs that will help Americans take full advantage of connected technology. The programs will equip workers with the digital skills necessary for modern employment, train seniors to recognize and avoid online scams, promote the use of telehealth and other cost-saving services, and generally maximize the benefits of our investment in broadband. Every state and 65 organizations have approved projects ready to proceed, but many are waiting for final confirmation from the Administration.

• The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) allocates $42.5 billion to states and territories to bring high-speed, reliable, affordable broadband to un- and underserved rural areas. It is the largest broadband infrastructure program in U.S. history. Unlike most past programs, BEAD relies on states, not the federal government, to determine which areas need investment and which providers will receive support for deploying networks. Having completed a rigorous, multi-year process of mapping, planning, community engagement, and competitive bidding, states are just now preparing awards for network deployment. Early indications are that states could soon start bringing high-speed, reliable, affordable broadband to virtually every unserved location in the country. However, progress is awaiting final approval from the Administration.  

Is the “Fix” In?

During today’s hearing, Congressional Republicans may offer their plans to change BEAD. Here’s what we’ve heard from them before:

• Reduce the reliance on fiber as the primarily network technology and increase the role of satellite and other technologies, which generally have less capacity;

• Reduce or eliminate BEAD’s affordability requirements, which were designed to ensure everyone can afford to use these taxpayer-funder networks; 

• Reduce or eliminate BEAD’s labor, climate resiliency, and open access requirements;

• Restrict state’s ability to use leftover BEAD funds for “non-deployment” activities, such as promoting technology adoption.

Such changes have long been a priority for Republican policymakers. Today’s hearing could be a first foray into altering BEAD’s course (indeed, alterations may have already started). To be clear, key details about Republican proposals are not yet public. Will changes be mandatory, or will they be optional? Mandatory changes could force states to rerun entire grant programs, upending years of work and creating major delays. Optional changes would allow states to pursue a path of least disruption and allow greater stakeholder input.

No program is perfect, and some changes may be in order. But at this late stage in the BEAD process, major changes should be left to the state's discretion.

A Remedy Worse than the Disease

If the Administration and Congress are considering changing BEAD, here are some things they should keep in mind. 

One in four rural Americans does not have quality broadband internet. But they could soon, if BEAD is allowed to progress. Under current rules, the three states that have completed every step of the BEAD process—Louisiana, Nevada, and Delaware—are poised to achieve remarkable results. Using BEAD’s competitive bidding model, they have selected a mixture of technologies that will bring the best, most affordable and reliable service to the most people at the lowest long-term cost to taxpayers. Here are the results so far:

• Louisiana:

  • 95% of locations will get fiber;

  • 3% of locations will get wireless or cable;

  • 2% of locations will get satellite (e.g. Starlink or Kuiper). 

• Nevada:

  • 80% of locations will get fiber;

  • 11% will get wireless or cable;

  • 9% will get satellite.

• Delaware:

  • 100% of locations will get fiber.

Similar results can be expected across the country if BEAD is allowed to continue. But if BEAD is significantly changed, then we could instead expect:

• Millions of rural Americans may miss their best and potentially last chance to get fast, affordable, reliable internet service. 

• States and internet service providers may have to scrap years of preparation and undergo yet more rounds of planning and grantmaking. 

• Rural residents could fall further behind, such as veterans missing access to lifesaving virtual treatments, students falling behind in school, and businesses stagnating. 

• Billions of taxpayer dollars could go to Elon Musk to pay for service that is already available at most BEAD-eligible locations.

BEAD is designed to primarily invest in terrestrial infrastructure, such as fiber, which will pay economic dividends in any state by creating a local infrastructure platform for economic activity and by stimulating direct, indirect, and induced job creation. In contrast, paying Starlink for a network that already exists, and that has almost no terrestrial infrastructure, has no discernible economic benefit for any state or community. Moreover, Starlink coverage will remain limited by terrain and foliage in areas such as Appalachia, the Ozarks, the Alleghenies, and the Cascades.

Consider bridge replacement as an analogy (courtesy of Reid Consulting Group). Say we have enough funding to replace bridges assessed at a grade of “D” or lower. We would not fund a “D+” bridge fix, so why are such lax standards acceptable for rural broadband? Decrepit rural telecommunications infrastructure needs to be replaced and designed to meet 30+ years of bandwidth growth. Success requires us to target the requirements of 2055, not 2020.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It.

The Administration and Congress have a choice. They could finally bring high-quality broadband to every American and unlock the miracle of modern connected technology for millions or people. Or they could repeat the mistakes of past broadband programs by prioritizing cost savings over meaningful connectivity. 

The cost of the digital divide is large and growing. BEAD presents an unprecedented opportunity to address this problem. At this late stage, when states are poised to make historic progress, do not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Drew Garner is the Director of Policy Engagement at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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