Access America
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The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program is $42 billion effort to close the digital divide by ensuring that all Americans have access to broadband. With so much at stake, it’s essential that state and federal policymakers, ISPs, and civil society groups understand the details of the program. ITIF policy analyst Jessica Dine joined experts on different aspects of BEAD to discuss what they mean and how BEAD participants can maximize their effectiveness. For more episodes in this series, visit itif.org and search for #AccessAmerica.
July 15, 2024
Exploring Maine’s State Broadband Initiative, With Brian Allenby
Access America Series, Episode 4: Jess talks to Brian Allenby, program operations and communications director for the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), about the state’s progress on BEAD and the challenge of serving rugged and remote communities.
July 8, 2024
Making Broadband Affordable, With Jake Varn
Access America Series, Episode 3: Jess talks to Jake Varn, an associate manager with Pew’s broadband access initiative, about the “low-cost option” in BEAD, how states can implement it, and how it interacts with federal low-income broadband programs.
July 1, 2024
Building Michigan’s State Broadband Plan, With Jessica Randall
Access America Series, Episode 2: Jess discusses the challenges and opportunities of BEAD for the state of Michigan with Jessica Randall of Michigan’s broadband office.
June 24, 2024
Securing Federally Funded Networks, With Chris Oatway
Access America Series, Episode 1: Jess talks with Verizon’s Chris Oatway about the BEAD program’s cybersecurity requirements and whether they’re enough to keep new networks secure.
