How the FCC got boxed out of the broadband push

As the federal government readies to spend tens of billions of dollars on broadband upgrades, the Federal Communications Commission — the agency that has traditionally doled out subsidies for internet connections — is on the sidelines. The broadband money got routed around the FCC for several reasons, according to insiders familiar with the process.

• The White House will be able to exert greater control over how the money is awarded if the Commerce Department is in charge rather than an independent agency like the FCC.
• Sources noted that Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was a key player in the infrastructure negotiations.
• The FCC has also come under fire recently for how it handled awarding $9 billion for broadband in rural areas in 2020. Critics say the program, known as the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), was rushed in order to begin before the end of the Trump administration.