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Local government officials are often taken in by the allure of government-owned broadband networks (GONs) when told by activists or consultants that they are superior to relying on private providers. While a GON could be the least bad option if no private providers are willing to invest, build, and operate, GONs are typically a suboptimal choice. Comparisons between GONs and private Internet service providers (ISPs) are often asymmetric—overlooking favoritism toward GONs and hostility to private deployment. From a policy perspective, such a skewed comparison is unhelpful in finding the best way to connect consumers and efficiently use national resources. Instead, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under President-elect Trump should push policymakers to conduct an unbiased evaluation of the relative merits of both options. 

The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) will be hosting a webinar for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program application process tomorrow, Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 10:00 AM EST. This webinar will serve as an essential resource for prospective applicants under the BEAD program.

With the BEAD now open, the webinar will provide critical guidance and answer questions about the application process. Participants will gain insights into eligibility requirements, application best practices, and key timelines.

Webinar Details:

Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Time: 10:00 AM EST

Format: Virtual Webinar

About: The BEAD initiative is part of a nationwide effort to increase access to high-speed broadband, especially in unserved and underserved areas. Join us on December 3 for more information on the BEAD application process.

With the 2024 election in the books, the country is rapidly preparing for what a second Donald Trump presidency means for a lengthy list of high-profile policy issues. Headlines have focused on areas with clear differences between President Joe Biden and President-elect Trump, including tariffs, immigration, and Ukraine—but all the prognostication about areas of disagreement can obscure just how many issues demand continuity across administrations. That’s shaping up to be the case with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), or the so-called “bipartisan infrastructure law.” It may not have been an issue on the stump, but the IIJA will be a major governing item for the next two years. To help prepare stakeholders inside the Beltway and across the country, this piece summarizes the state of play: how much money is left to be spent, political takeaways from the Biden administration’s awards, and what the future of the IIJA is inside and outside Washington, D.C.