BEAD's high-cost threshold 'key area' of concern for fiber advocates

While the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's notice of funding opportunity prioritizes fiber builds for those applying for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants, a "high-cost threshold" exception has been a point of concern for fiber advocates like the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) CEO Gary Bolton. That threshold is a cost, to be set by the states, at which they may choose not to prioritize end-to-end fiber deployment. FBA is trying to make sure the states and territories writing up their funding plans keep that threshold as high as possible. The organization recommends:

1. Use state and federal data to estimate the number of unserved and underserved locations
2. Model deployment costs and compare them to the state's estimated BEAD allotment to see if there are enough funds for full fiber
3. Meet with local providers to see how fiber can be expanded through other means (e.g., existing infrastructure, in-kind matches, etc.)
4. Explore supplemental grants
5. Calculate costs over time
6. Use all of the above to "determine the highest point at which the Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold can be set while still ensuring all unserved areas will be served"