Building Infrastructure for a Better-Connected World

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's mission is to build a better-connected world. That work includes connecting everyone in America to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet service. The Internet for All initiative is historic. As such, we would be remiss if we failed to learn lessons from the recent history of other federal broadband programs. Top of mind are the failings of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, or RDOF.  As I travel the country, one of the biggest concerns I hear is how defaults from this program are having downstream impacts on state rollouts of their broadband programs—and on people’s lives. In 2020, the FCC rushed to begin the RDOF auction during 2020 election season. Leadership chose to move forward without accurate maps to guide the funding. They did not properly vet providers to ensure they could actually build out the networks. All of this over the objections of minority commissioners. Then-Commissioner Rosenworcel said, “[T]his is not the broadband plan we need. It is not guided by maps. It is not guided by data. It is guided by a desire to rush out the door, claim credit, and pronounce our nation’s broadband problems solved.” The auction ended with the promise of more than $9 billion to connect 5.2 million homes. But $3 billion of that funding was never awarded. And defaults continue to mount—affecting 1.7 million locations and counting. Millions of families believed the promise that faster Internet was finally coming, only to be disappointed—and unconnected. Promises made, promises broken—to millions of Americans. Our Internet for All programs are informed by the best maps this country has ever had; utilizing an array of technologies; in partnership with states and communities; with careful oversight of how taxpayer funds will be spent; to deliver the best high-speed Internet connection possible to every unconnected home. Concerning the Broadband Equity, Access, And Deployment (BEAD) Program:

• To date, we have approved 53 Initial Proposals for how states and territories will connect every unserved location.
• 51 states & territories have either completed or are finalizing their map challenge process.
• Eight states have begun to select the ISPs that will build BEAD networks.
• We’ve made available more than $24 billion in BEAD funding to states and territories.
• And we’ve met or exceeded all statutory deadlines to keep the program on schedule.