Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
A bright plan for broadband workforce development in the Sunshine State
As states begin to receive their allocations from the $42 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment or BEAD program, Florida is leading the way in preparing the workforce needed for new high-speed internet networks. State officials were quick to convene industry stakeholders as part of their broadband planning process last year, and the state’s BEAD proposal has an unusually detailed section on workforce readiness.
New Hampshire Pursues Affordable Broadband With BEAD
Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, New Hampshire will receive $196.5 million and will be given the opportunity to finally close the digital divide for the entire state, finishing the task undertaken with previous state and federal programs. BEAD will bring unparalleled investment in broadband infrastructure over the next five years and has tasked the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) Office of Broadband with bringing affordable broadband to all New Hampshire residents.
NTIA Head Calls GOP Criticism of BEAD 'Election-Year Politics'
Alan Davidson, chief of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the Commerce Department, dismissed Republican criticisms of the Biden administration’s $42 billion broadband expansion program as "election-year politics." Recent attacks have shifted toward Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been dubbed the "Broadband Czar" by Republicans like Sen.
Vermont CUDs figure out broadband without help from incumbents
A group in Vermont got so fed up with the lack of high-speed broadband in small towns and rural areas—and the complete lack of interest by incumbent telephone and cable companies—that it went to the Vermont legislature for permission to create a communications union district (CUD). There are now nine CUDs successfully operating in Vermont, and these groups are poised to garner the lion’s share of Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) awards in the state. The trailblazing CUD was ECFiber, which has been so successful that it doesn’t plan to apply for BEAD funds because it’s already
The Road to Recovery in Western North Carolina
In the late hours of Thursday, September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall at Keaton Beach (FL). On Friday, downgraded to a tropical storm, Helene made its way up the east coast, leaving a path of destruction through Georgia and the Carolinas.
Affordable Broadband for Every Household in New Mexico
In July 2024, the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) released its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Initial Proposal Volume II.
Ignoring economics is a killer for broadband programs
Technology Policy Institute President Scott Wallsten believes that federal broadband programs have mostly thrown key economic principles out the window. “And a persistent digital divide is partly the result of that,” he said. Rather than just focusing on the cost of capital or the cost of laying fiber, he said broadband programs should apply economic concepts to "maximize total net benefits" for consumers and also balance trade-offs between supply, different deployment technologies and what consumers want. For example, he said a consumer could consider moving from 1 Mbps to 10 Mbps “a huge
Biden-Harris Administration Approves Alabama and Florida’s "Internet for All" Initial Proposals
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Alabama and Florida’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This approval enables Alabama and Florida to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. One year from Initial Proposal approval, states must submit a Final Proposal that details, among other things, the outcome of the subgrantee selection process and how the state will ensure universal coverage.
Build America Buy America: Companies Self-Certify Domestic Production for the BEAD Program
The U.S. Department of Commerce released the first version of this Self Certification list, which allows manufacturers who have invested in domestic manufacturing to voluntarily ‘certify’—at the risk of federal penalty—that certain equipment they make meets the domestic manufacturing requirement listed in the Build America, Buy America (BABA) waiver for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This list is a direct response from manufacturer feedback that NTIA heard during the c
Utah Broadband Center Announces Key Dates for Utah’s BEAD Pre-application Portal
The Utah Broadband Center (UBC), part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), announces Utah’s launch of the registration and pre-application portal for the state’s Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG). This grant is made possible through the federally funded Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The $42.5 billion BEAD program, part of the U.S.