OTI Issues Recommendations on NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Funding

On February 4, New America's Open Technology Institute (OTI) filed comments to guide the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in successfully disbursing funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). In the comments, OTI urged NTIA to ensure its administration of the program results in the equitable deployment of broadband and improved access to affordable, quality broadband service. The IIJA, signed into law by President Biden after Congress passed the legislation with bipartisan support, tasks NTIA with disbursing more than $48 billion in broadband funding. The bulk of the money is dedicated for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. OTI’s comments argued that NTIA should promulgate rules that ensure that BEAD-supported networks are:

1. Affordable
2. Competitive
3. Transparent
4. Rigorously evaluated
5. Community driven