The Final Countdown

Much has been written about 2024 being the “year of execution” for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment. This has led many to believe that 2024 will see BEAD dollars put to work to connect homes that lack broadband access. This is not the case. What is meant by “execution” varies according to which pundit you ask.  Is it Initial Proposal (IP) Volume 2 approval? Does “execution” mean completion of the subgrant process? I would argue that the average layperson who is languishing in the digitaldivide interprets “execution” to mean access to a high speed, reliable broadband connection in their home. BEAD is a complex, multiyear, multiphase program. Attaining IP approval and running subgrant processes are both exciting milestones—they get us closer to universal connectivity. But we aren’t there yet. So while 2024 is the year of BEAD execution, it is not the year for connecting homes with BEAD.