At least two states — Maine and Minnesota — have contacted the U.S. Department of Commerce concerning the changes that may be made to the $42.45 billion the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Earlier this month, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC) suggested that BEAD needed to be adjusted. Both bemoaned the fact that no rural homes have yet been served by the program, which was part of the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Minnesota’s suggestions about BEAD came via a letter to Lutnick from Bree Maki, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development. The requested “volume 2” changes are a reduction or elimination of program and reporting requirements she characterized as “excessive.” The letter also requested four administrative task changes.
“Any changes enacted by NTIA should be optional and states should have the flexibility to make the changes they need to be successful in their state,” Maki wrote. “We are confident that the modifications and priorities we are requesting will not only improve Minnesota’s ability to strategically and effectively implement the BEAD Program but also serve as a model for other states seeking similar enhancements.”
The Maine Connectivity Authority, also in a letter to Lutnick, earlier this month, suggested four steps that it said would accelerate and improve the program. The letter was signed by Andrew Butcher, the president of the authority. The suggestions were high level (i.e., recognizing that “[s]tates and territories are key to success” and that it is important to “[i]nvest in the right technology for the right place”).
The two states’ requests and any others that are submitted likely will be considered by an NTIA under the leadership of Arielle Roth, who has been nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. As such, Roth would become the director of NTIA.
Roth testified this week before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Many of the questions focused on BEAD in general and the technologies that would be used in particular.
Her prepared testimony lauded BEAD:
“Thanks to Congress’s historic, bipartisan investments in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NTIA has a responsibility to ensure that these funds are spent efficiently, expeditiously, and consistent with the law as written by Congress. I look forward to working with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the BEAD Program is a success and lives up to its bipartisan legacy.”
Additional information about broadband in Maine and Minnesota, including links to state funding resources, BEAD news, awards made, state-specific Telecompetitor coverage and more, can be found on the Broadband Nation webpages for the states: Maine | Minnesota
