Level of Government

As Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick will have powers over many commerce-related areas, and he may play a role in the big issue of tariffs. But of most interest to the broadband community, he would be the boss of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which oversees the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. The Senate Commerce Committee held Lutnick’s confirmation hearing on January 29, where Senators were able to question the nominee. Some Senators—from both parties—expressed concerns about any dramatic changes to BEAD.

Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) has been demanding an overhaul of a $42.45 billion broadband deployment program, and now his telecommunications policy director has been chosen to lead the federal agency in charge of the grant money.

With the new administration taking over federal programs, some companies and organizations are trying to change the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to focus on technologies that are cheaper to build initially but may charge more to residents while delivering much less. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is running the $42.5 BEAD program to improve rural Internet access and, as Congress required, has prioritized fiber optic network investments.

As a new administration refashions the federal government in Washington, D.C., questions have arisen about the billions of dollars previously allocated to bringing speedy internet connections to every home and business in the U.S. Pennsylvania’s share of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s $42.35 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program is $1.16 billion.

Since January 20, the new US presidential administration has taken down thousands of government web pages related to public health, environmental justice, and scientific research. The mass takedowns stem from the new administration’s push to remove government information related to diversity and “gender ideology,” as well as scrutiny of various government agencies’ practices. But as government web pages go dark, a collection of organizations are trying to archive as much data and information as possible before it’s gone for good.

Reports from the US Government Accountability Office on improper federal payments in recent years are circulating on X and elsewhere online, and they seem to be a big influence on Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency and its supporters as the group pursues cost-cutting measures across the federal government. The payment reports have been spread online by dozens of pundits, sleuths, and anonymous analysts

The term technology neutral has been around for a number of years related to federal grants. The term is used among the folks who create grant programs as a way to not dictate technology choices—any technology that can meet the requirements of a given grant program should be considered. The term is taking on significant new meaning in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant process. The BEAD legislation said that the program was supposed to be technology neutral.

The wireless industry, namely CTIA, recently cheered Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr’s move to launch a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) into the upper C-band—meaning more licensed spectrum being pumped into the pipeline for wireless carriers. But analysts say it’s too early to celebrate. That’s because Elon Musk’s SpaceX is eyeing the same spectrum for shared satellite use and it’s not at all clear where this will eventually land.

The U.S.

On November 1, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the West Virginia Department of Economic Development (WVDED) over $9 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding to implement the West Virginia Digital Equity Plan. Major activities NTIA is supporting include: