Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Anniversary: Reflecting on a Major Year of Progress

One year ago, I was standing on the South Lawn of the White House alongside a bipartisan group of lawmakers watching President Biden sign the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), infusing billions of dollars for an unprecedented national broadband deployment effort. We knew at the time it was a historic moment. When I paused to think about just how much has happened in 365 days, I felt it was critical to highlight just how much we’ve accomplished together. In anticipation of the distribution of $42.5 billion of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funding, for example, our team has continued its advocacy at the highest levels. While the discussions have moved from Capitol Hill to federal and state agencies, our staff continues to work closely with NTCA members on key implementation questions that could make or break the success of this program in the end. Every week, we are talking to federal and state policymakers about important questions such as the definitions of high-cost areas and extremely high-cost locations, what procurement regulations will apply to grant awards, and how to promote the adoption of services atop funded networks. We’ve also worked to develop tools that members can use to position themselves best for participation in these new programs. For example, we launched the Broadband Opportunity Hub, designed to push out the latest funding information. We have also partnered with ACA Connects to create a BEAD State/Territory Tracker that provides weekly updates on the efforts by states and territories to distribute BEAD funds. We also published a Broadband Infrastructure Playbook in collaboration with the Fiber Broadband Association to assist state broadband offices in making efficient and effective use of funds and we’ve hosted webinars to help explain funding opportunities and collect your feedback about how to better implement them. Even as this work continues and preparation for BEAD remains a work in progress, we’ve seen these efforts to secure broadband funds pay off.