State Broadband Heads Tired After BEAD’s ‘Long Haul,’ Benton Finds

How BEAD Restructured and Saved $21 Billion

In 2021, Congress instructed the U.S. Department of Commerce to create the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, an operational framework to expand high-speed broadband access in parts of the United States that lack connectivity. Congress allocated $42.5 billion to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to disburse funds across 56 states and territories to close coverage gaps in Americans’ broadba…

BEAD fatigue deepens among state broadband officials

State broadband officials are showing signs of fatigue as they work to move the US$42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) programme from planning into on-the-ground deployment. Interviews conducted by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society indicate that many state broadband office leaders have spent years navigating complex planning rules, mapping challenges, grant […]

State Broadband Heads Tired After BEAD’s ‘Long Haul,’ Benton Finds

The group is working on two research projects based on interviews with broadband directors and ISPs