NTIA should better include technologies like low-earth orbit satellites and fixed-wireless access in BEAD’s guidelines to reduce the amount spent on deployment so that funds can be repurposed to focus on more pressing causes of the digital divide.

To Do: Make the Broadband Equity, Access, and Inclusion (BEAD) Program Technology Neutral

Notice of Funding Opportunity from the NTIA Is a Step in the Right Direction, Says ITIF

If states or NTIA plan to spend tens of thousands of dollars per home on deployment and thereby deny affordability support to millions, they should be prepared to explain why they’re spending most or all their money on 3 percent of the problem.

Uncapped Fiber Fixation Can’t Close the Digital Divide

Uncapped Fiber Fixation Can't Close the Digital Divide

ITIF filed comments with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the matter of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation (Docket No. 220105-0002), regarding the $48 billion to be administered by NTIA through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program; the Middle Mile Program; and the Digital Equity Planning Program.

Comments to NTIA Regarding Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The federal government’s $42 billion BEAD program is off track due to its costly fiber bias, but a new ITIF report shows how embracing technology-neutral solutions—like LEO satellites and FWA—can deliver broadband faster, cheaper, and more effectively to unserved communities.

Federal Broadband Program’s Costly Fiber Bias Delays Access; ITIF Proposes Tech-Neutral Strategy for BEAD 

Federal Broadband Program's Costly Fiber Bias Delays Access; ITIF Proposes Tech-Neutral Strategy for BEAD 

Congress has allocated more than $42 billion to bridge the “digital divide,” but that effort risks failing because the federal BEAD program encourages states to overspend on high-end fiberoptic infrastructure.

BEAD Program’s Fiber Bias Pushes States to Overspend on Broadband, Neglecting Other Causes of the Digital Divide, New ITIF Report Concludes

BEAD Program's Fiber Bias Pushes States to Overspend on Broadband, Neglecting Other Causes of the Digital Divide, New ITIF Report Concludes

GovTech covered a new ITIF report advising states and regions to consider a range of connectivity issues before deciding how to best spend federal infrastructure funding on high-speed Internet.
 

When Building Out Broadband, Don’t Overspend on Fiber

When Building Out Broadband, Don't Overspend on Fiber

In The Hill, Joe Kane argues that the BEAD program’s fiber-first rules risk wasting billions and delaying broadband access where faster, cheaper options exist.



We’re Trading Centuries of Internet Access for One More Mile of Fiber 

We're Trading Centuries of Internet Access for One More Mile of Fiber 

Congress has allocated $42.5 billion to bridge America’s digital divide through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. To achieve that goal, states and territories must carefully craft plans to use their shares of the funds to the greatest possible benefit.

NTIA Is Right to Curb Expensive Fiber Overreach—Next Stop: Affordability, Says ITIF

Editors’ Recommendations

BEAD Needs All Technologies to Succeed

BEAD Report: Interactive Dataviz

Related

To Do: Make the Broadband Equity, Access, and Inclusion (BEAD) Program Technology Neutral

Notice of Funding Opportunity from the NTIA Is a Step in the Right Direction, Says ITIF

Uncapped Fiber Fixation Can’t Close the Digital Divide