Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Experts expressed concern that federal support for municipal broadband is limited, prompting uncertainty about future funding and operational sustainability. Tyler Cooper, editor-in-chief of Broadband Now, said that Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grants are less promising for municipal broadband deployments despite initial promises. Cooper expressed concern that BEAD rules and requirements may not favor municipal networks, potentially favoring larger providers.

This first-of-its-kind kit includes bond forms to address the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announcement to accept surety bonds as an additional form of security in lieu of letters of credit (LOCs) for the  Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) and the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) formed a surety working group to develop performance bond forms and model language to facilitate the use of surety bonds to meet BEAD Program security requirements.

In the fourth installment of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation’s Access America series, Jess talks to Brian Allenby, program operations and communications director for the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA). They chat about the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Maine's digital equity intensive approach, and how the state has been promoting regional broadband plans and activity. "The Regional Tribal Broadband Partners were convened as a working group to share information at what was happening at that local level.

On April 24, members of Congress wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to "urge the FCC to carefully consider and account for the impact of investments funded by the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to maximize the reach and efficiency of the 5G Fund." On July 2, Chairwoman Rosenworcel responded, agreeing that it is critical to maximize the efficiency and impact of federal broadband programs.

On July 9, a House subcommittee held a hearing to get an update on how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is addressing some of the most pressing broadband issues in the country. Here’s what the FCC had to say:

On July 9, Reps Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Bob Latta (R-OH), and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of Commerce and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Alan Davidson regarding concerns that NTIA is unlawfully pressuring states to rate regulate low-cost broadband plans required by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. “States have reported that the NTIA is directing them to set rates and conditioning approval of initial proposals on doing so.

Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, discussed the importance of rural broadband to small-town America and issues of concern to community-based broadband operators, including the Universal Service Fund and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD), at a Communications Forum luncheon at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C., on July 10, 2024. "I have to highlight what I think has been the most successful rural broadband initiative that has ever existed that flies a little bit under the radar.

High-speed Internet service connects and builds communities, accelerates economic progress, and enhances public service capabilities.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Maryland’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.

Nevada's universal access mandate can only be achieved when the internet services offered to consumers are affordable and desirable, and when offering those services makes business sense for a provider. Affordability is a central tenant of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology's (OSIT) broadband deployment and digital adoption goals and strategies.