The CEO of the US National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA) has called for changes to a broadband funding programme which he says is “failing rural America”.
Jim Matheson issued his statement after the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) announced a new round of Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (Bead) programme funding to be made available for states to address locations that may remain unserved.
Bead is a US$42.45bn federal grant programme funding by the NTIA, which says it “aims to connect every American to high-speed internet by funding partnerships to build infrastructure”.
In June 2023, NTIA announced allocation amounts for all 56 states and territories.
But, warned Matheson, “Bead’s initial investment is failing rural America. Delayed implementation, shifting guidance, cost constraints and unrealistic funding assumptions have slowed progress, discouraged participation and weakened a historic opportunity to bring long-overdue broadband service to rural communities.
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“Directing further investment under the same misguided approach will not deliver universal connectivity to rural America.”
He added: “NTIA must allow flexibility for cost increases created by programme delays, align funding levels with the actual cost of deploying broadband infrastructure in America’s hardest-to-reach communities and remove fatally flawed pole attachment rules that clearly break from long-standing federal policy. Without correcting course, Bead risks leaving rural America behind.”
More than 200 rural electric co-operatives across the US are working to bridge the digital divide, says NRECA.
“NTIA and State Broadband Offices are important partners in amplifying these efforts and expanding access to affordable broadband in rural areas,” it added.
