Tips to Develop a State Broadband Plan

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity Programs requires a Five Year State Broadband Action Plan in order to tap $100 million of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. In creating a competent and competitive plan to secure federal broadband funding, states should take into account a number of tips. First, states should designate or form a State Broadband Office to centralize broadband efforts, resources, and goals. Then they can create a statewide Broadband Council to source expertise and experience in broadband and broadband-related policy. States should also facilitate in-person listening sessions and prioritize stakeholder engagement, and engage in statewide, extensive broadband mapping and surveyance. Your State Broadband Plan should include goals, objectives, and related milestone achievements to demonstrate realistic broadband implementation, development, and progress. The bottom line: a good State Broadband Plan should address broadband infrastructure, broadband adoption, and digital equity. The overarching objective of your State Broadband Plan is to tackle and bridge your State's digital divide and allow all your residents the opportunity to engage in 21st-century society.

[Rachelle Chong is a nationally recognized California regulatory lawyer and registered lobbyist who assists innovative business clients before the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.]