With states facing a Sept. 4 deadline to submit their final plans for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funding, broadband experts met last week to discuss how BEAD’s new policy notice will change outcomes for the communities the program serves.
The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition held a webinar Wednesday with two state broadband officials and two from the private sector. Executive director of Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development Bree Maki worries how the narrowed program qualifications will affect community anchor institutions following the policy notice on BEAD sent out June 6.
“We’re certainly frustrated by this definition,” said Maki. “We in our states all have a definition, we know, hands on the ground, what that looks like and why.”
Blandin on Broadband
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