National Telecommunications and Information Administration

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, in collaboration with the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, recently hosted a webinar series titled the Power of Partnership: State Strategies for Digital and Educational Equity.

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.

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.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Indiana’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Indiana to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.

Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) President Andrew Butcher isn’t hyper-focused on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and the $272 million that Maine will be receiving. “Unfortunately, I think it’s a common misnomer that, once you deploy BEAD, the problem is solved,” Butcher said. The MCA was founded and structured largely based on lessons from Maine’s successful 2020 state bond campaign and 2021 bid for $28 million from National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Infrastructure Program to support six community-driven, regional-scale, publ

AT&T CEO John Stankey said the most critical issue facing the telecommunications industry is the effective implementation of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. To close the digital divide, Stankey said, additional policies should be created to ensure that all BEAD Program funds (“every dollar of taxpayer money”) are used to expand access to broadband as quickly as possible.