Challenges Industry Stakeholders Face with Broadband Deployment

The Department of Commerce's Inspector General asked industry stakeholders to identify challenges they are facing with broadband programmatic deployment to unserved and underserved locations. In response, these stakeholders identified challenges regarding expanding high-speed internet access via infrastructure deployments: the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Notification of Funding Opportunity’s (NOFO’s) Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold (EHCPLT) provision for broadband technology could limit applications and reduce BEAD funding, programmatic exclusion of unlicensed spectrum or satellite could lead to overbuilding without oversight, lengthy permitting processes could lead to broadband deployment delays, and workforce shortages could slow infrastructure deployment. These challenges could impact stakeholders’ ability to successfully deploy broadband as required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, discourage technology providers from applying for grants, decrease competition, encourage wasteful spending to connect locations with existing broadband access, and increase deployment cost. To address the potential impacts of the identified challenges, NTIA should consider:

1. Relaxing the BEAD NOFO’s fiber preference and Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold provision to take into consideration the limited availability of resources to support fiber preference.  
2. Developing a formal oversight process to ensure overbuilding would be limited to those locations permitted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which NTIA identified as locations with existing internet service using unlicensed spectrum or satellite.
3. Working with or forming a coalition with the broadband industry, states, and territories to develop a national database of critical broadband industry jobs and national, standardized training programs, certifications, and licenses.