NTIA Chief Alan Davidson: State Broadband Grants Aren't One Size Fits All

Alan Davidson, head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, said his agency is taking a customer service approach to overseeing the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) initiative going to the states for broadband buildout. Each state will have a point person at NTIA to make sure stakeholders know how to apply for the money, Davidson said. Davidson signaled that while the Biden administration has emphasized fiber, states will have the flexibility to use the money as they choose, as long as it is put toward the goal of getting broadband to the unserved and underserved. “We expect there will be flexibility,” he said. “Different states are going to run programs in different ways.” The statute gives states that flexibility, he said, so it is not a one-size-fits-all program. Connect Americans Now Executive Director Richard Cullen praised Davidson, stating, “Connect Americans Now commends Administrator Davidson for reaffirming NTIA’s commitment to ensuring states and broadband providers have the flexibility needed to maximize the positive impact, reach and cost-effectiveness of deployments targeted at eliminating the digital divide."