Category Archives: Digital Divide

OPPORTUNITY: Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group – Request for Comment

Posted on by
Reply

Senator Fischer reports on an opportunity for folks to comment on the USF (Universal Service Fund)…

The USF Working Group reorganized in June – led by Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chair and Ranking Member of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and joined by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Jackie Rosen (D-NV). Representatives Richard Hudson (R-NC9) and Doris Matsui (D-CA7), Chair and Ranking Member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, lead the Group’s efforts in the House. Together, the bipartisan, bicameral USF Working Group invites public input about the future of the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund.

Today, the USF comprises the High-Cost Program, Low-Income (Lifeline) Program, Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) Program, and the Rural Health Care Program. The Working Group aims to provide a bipartisan forum to guide reforms to the USF, ensuring that connectivity reaches Americans in every community across the nation.

The Working Group seeks comments from stakeholders across the country to explore the current state of the Fund, and assess proposals for the Fund’s modernization and reliable support of voice and broadband services into the future – particularly following the Supreme Court’s decision in Federal Communications Commission v. Consumers’ Research (consolidated with Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition v. Consumers’ Research).

OPPORTUNITY: Libraries Without Borders US is looking for library partner

Posted on by
Reply

From Libraries Without Borders US…

Library-School Partnership Request for Proposal (RFP)

Enhancing library access for youth and families through their local schools

Libraries Without Borders US (LWB US) is growing its partnership base across the country in order to increase library access and usage for underserved youth and families! This initiative aims to enhance partnerships between local schools, school libraries, and public libraries.

Through this Request for Proposal (RFP), LWB US will select five (5) public libraries or library systems with high levels of community need and a commitment to sustain successful efforts launched through the partnership.

Selected partners will receive technical assistance for community data collection and analysis, strategy and development for school-library partnerships, implementation support, ongoing evaluation, and sustainability planning. To nurture a successful partnership, LWB US will provide supplies and materials up to $5,000 to support the implementation of school-library initiatives. Please note that LWB US is not a grant funder. We partner with public libraries and library systems in order to increase community access to and engagement with resources and offerings.

Application Process

Applications will be accepted July 1, 2025 through August 31, 2025. 

 See Library-School Partnership RFP for more details and submission instructions.

Apply Now

Getting creative in Dakota County’s iLABs

Posted on by
Reply

Dakota County shares…

iLABs offer technology and craft tools to help residents of all ages and interests. iLABs provide technology and equipment that some residents may not have access to due to availability, high costs or other factors.

Using the iLAB

Whether it’s digitizing old family photos, making a dress, creating a 3D object or trying new technology for the first time, the library’s iLAB Creative Spaces offer residents a convenient place to explore, create and learn.

Dakota County residents can make all kinds of projects in an iLAB anytime they want during regular library hours for free. We offer classes and online tutorials to help you get familiar with the equipment as well as one-on-one appointments with staff or volunteers. You can reserve equipment through the library’s online reservation system for up to four hours at a time.

I just love the idea of it. It’s like a makerspace 2.0, where it feels open to everyone in the area.

 

US Senate confirms Arielle Roth to lead the NTIA

Posted on by
Reply

Broadband Breakfast reports…

The Senate confirmed Arielle Roth by a 52-42 vote Wednesday to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Roth’s confirmation was supported by all present Republicans and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. All other present Democrats voted against Roth. Her confirmation came a week after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., teed up her nomination on the Senate floor, and proceeded smoothly despite Sen. Jacky Rosen’s, D-Nev., best efforts to delay the process.

Roth’s confirmation was supported by all present Republicans and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. All other present Democrats voted against Roth. Her confirmation came a week after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., teed up her nomination on the Senate floor, and proceeded smoothly despite Sen. Jacky Rosen’s, D-Nev., best efforts to delay the process.

Will the recent One Big Beautiful Bill Act leave low-income households choosing between food or broadband?

Posted on by
Reply

The American Prospect published an article from Sean Gonsalves, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative, demonstrating how cut in the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) may leave low-income household having to decide on food versus broadband…

Last year, GOP leaders blocked bipartisan efforts to fund an extension of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which offered 23 million eligible households a $30-per-month voucher to help pay for internet service. As if letting the ACP die wasn’t a big enough blow, OBBBA not only increases the paperwork burden required to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, it completely removes internet service costs as an eligible deduction.

In the context of SNAP, the “deduction” refers to how an eligible household’s net income is calculated, which is then used to determine how much households are entitled to receive in SNAP benefits. A lower net income translates into a higher allocation of benefits. Section 10005 of the law prohibits “household internet costs (e.g., monthly subscriber fees)” from being used in the net income calculation. That means that families with internet access will have higher net incomes, and therefore get lower benefits.

“Fundamentally, the SNAP benefit calculation is about calculating what the household has available for food. That’s why rent and utilities are factored in,” explained Katie Bergh, senior policy analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ (CBPP) Food Assistance team.

Contrast this change to 2019, when the first Trump administration sought to establish federal “Standard Utility Allowances” across every state. At that time, internet service was considered to be an essential utility—and that was before the COVID lockdowns turned internet access for all into one of the most bipartisan goals in all of politics.

But under OBBBA, and contrary to common sense, internet access is no longer considered essential, at least not for SNAP beneficiaries, despite repeated campaign promises to “make America affordable again” and to bring prices down “starting on Day 1.”

What data is available about broadband access and adoption?

Posted on by
Reply

Pew has assessed and tracked the broadband-related data that is available in the US. They start with framing the importance…

Incomplete information can make it difficult for lawmakers to understand the effects of policy, and for government entities to enforce grant recipients’ program requirements. Because federal data focuses on information like the number of households with subscriptions, it lacks feedback on network quality and reliability, or on how consumers experience a broadband connection. Incomplete data can also make it challenging for researchers to evaluate how specific broadband policy changes affect consumers, and for people involved in broadband deployment and adoption at the state level to monitor whether ongoing and new programs are meeting their goals. Lack of data on broadband’s societal impact—such as effects on the economy, education, and health care—has led states to conduct their own baseline measurements to meet BEAD program requirements, including BEAD’s aim to “grow economic opportunities … provide increases in access to health care services … and enrich education experiences” nationwide. Additionally, NTIA’s BEAD Five-Year Action Plan guidance requires states to evaluate how program implementation affects economic and workforce development, education, health, civic and social engagement, and access to essential services.

Then they assessed the information available…

Pew’s review of broadband literature published from 2008 to 2024 (based on data that, in some cases, dates to the 1990s) showed that researchers had identified the following shortcomings with broadband data:

  • Limitations in geographic and household data: Federal data on broadband access, adoption, and household characteristics is often reported by county, ZIP code, or census tract, rather than by household. And geographic and household characteristics—such as the regions used in data collection or the composition of households—are not standardized across data sources, making it difficult to combine datasets for evaluation. This lack of standardization has led to inaccuracies in measuring the impact of broadband and the gaps in coverage, which is particularly problematic for federally funded projects that rely on accurate mapping data for broadband investment; these projects could misappropriate funds because of the data’s shortcomings.

 

  • Reliability of federal data for evaluation purposes: Federal data relies heavily on information from internet service providers (ISPs), leading to concerns in the literature that data on broadband availability and network performance may be affected by bias and lack of transparency. Also, federal data tends not to include price, making it difficult to assess how much broadband service costs and how affordable it is for customers throughout the country.

  • Inconsistencies in definitions: Several federal sources do not specify which broadband technologies are available to consumers, making it difficult to correlate network performance and household use of the internet. Some sources have also been inconsistent in defining key components, ranging from what qualifies as a broadband connection to the meaning of the phrase “digital equity” to how to measure internet use and digital skills—and how consumers benefit from the connection.

  • Lack of consistent impact assessments: The available data makes it difficult to determine the availability of affordable broadband connections or how to define affordability, and there is no uniform method of tracking broadband adoption patterns over time. Researchers need more information to gauge the value and impact in multiple areas (economic development, health care, education, civic life) of having a broadband internet connection.

The include a table of data sets and tools…

Agency Data set Description
FCC Form 477 (2000-22)
  • Number of internet providers, household adoption, technology type, availability at the census tract and block level
National Broadband Map (2022-present)
  • Number of internet providers, technology type, highest available speeds
Urban Rate Survey (2014-present)
  • Technology type, speed tiers, and prices from sampled ISPs in urban census tracts
Broadband Consumer Labels

(2024-present)
  • Publicly available pricing and speed tiers
USAC USF Fund (1997-present)
  • Funding disbursements for E-Rate, Rural Healthcare, High Cost, and Lifeline programs
NTIA Public GIS Map
  • Funding type and award amount
Federal Broadband Funding (2020-present)
  • Displays all federal funding awarded across multiple agencies
Internet Use Survey (1994-present)
  • Survey data on internet adoption and use
National Broadband Map Datasets (2010-14)
  • Number of providers, technology type, and speeds
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2013-present)
  • Household broadband internet subscription rates, households with a computer
Current Population Survey (1997-2012)
  • Household internet use
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index
  • Average internet service costs for urban consumers
Bureau of Economic Analysis Key economic indicators
  • Used to demonstrate the interaction of broadband connectivity with key economic indicators, including gross domestic product, consumer spending, employment, prices and inflation, and industry
USDA Economic Research Service

 

Technology Use (Farm Computer Usage and Ownership) Survey
  • Routine evaluation of broadband deployment programs from USDA

 

  • Farm computer use and internet access

 

T-Mobile ends DEI programs as it seeks regulatory approval from the FCC

Posted on by
Reply

Fierce Network reports…

Just like that, T-Mobile is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs to get two big deals OK’d by regulators.

In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr on Tuesday, T-Mobile said it will end its DEI programs as it seeks regulatory approval for its UScellular and MetroNet transactions.

“We have conducted a comprehensive review of T-Mobile’s policies, program, and activities, and pursuant to this review, T-Mobile is ending its DEI-related policies … not just in name, but in substance,” T-Mobile EVP and General Counsel Mark Nelson told the chairman in the letter made public Wednesday.

What are the costs to families that lost access to Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) broadband subsidies?

Posted on by
Reply

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society report…

The end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) created costs and tensions for beneficiaries that went beyond their losing the $30-per-month service subsidy. In a series of in-depth interviews from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and conducted by SSRS, Inc., participants lamented the program’s end while also expressing frustration with increased monthly internet costs and a dearth of low-cost options in the market.

Their reactions fell into three categories:

  1. Frustration over lack of choice in service providers that limited their ability to find budget-friendly alternatives once their ACP subsidies ended. There is a sense that society is effectively telling people they must have service, yet does not give them adequate service options that are both affordable and of sufficient quality.
  2. Contending with lower quality of service that was the result of having to switch to a different plan. This has limited students’ ability to do homework and caused problems in carrying out telehealth visits for patients with limited mobility.
  3. Cutting back on other expenditures as part of a difficult balancing act to maintain connectivity. This includes forgoing visits to the doctor or picking up side jobs to keep internet service on at home. The balancing act is precarious and not always successful, as the ACP’s end has led to service disconnections for some.

Participants in the interviews were members of low-income households that had used the ACP benefit to help defray monthly service costs. They were well attuned to societal changes that have made at-home internet service essential. These changes were not just about the pandemic but also included changes in their children’s educational experiences and how people interact with health care providers. This made the ACP a real aid to manage a tight household budget in the midst of having to do more things online. When the ACP ended, the question for most people was not whether to keep service but how to keep it while juggling other household needs.

FCC extends (again) pause of Lifeline Mobile data increase and voice phase-out

Posted on by
Reply

The FCC reports…

  1. In this Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) extends, for a year, the waiver pausing both the phase-out of Lifeline support for voice-only services and the increase in the Lifeline minimum service standard for mobile broadband data capacity. Without this decision, support for services that meet only the voice minimum service standard, which currently stands at $5.25 per month, would be eliminated in most areas on December 1, 2025.[1]  Additionally, absent a pause, the minimum service standard for mobile broadband data capacity would rise from 4.5 GB to 29 GB per month beginning December 1, 2025.
  2. As discussed below, we find good cause to pause these changes for an additional year. Absent this action, the minimum service standard for mobile broadband data capacity would have experienced its largest increase since Lifeline minimum service standards were established.  This action will avoid changes that could potentially result in the disruption of communications for Lifeline subscribers as the Commission establishes and evaluates the record in the Delete, Delete, Delete proceeding, a wide-ranging deregulatory review.[2]  Maintaining Lifeline program stability through this action will limit burdens on providers and low-income households while the Commission considers future activity regarding Lifeline voice-only service and setting minimum service standards.

[1] See Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization et al., WC Docket No. 11-42, Third Report and Order, Further Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration, 31 FCC Rcd 3962, 3989-97, paras. 73-98 (2016) (2016 Lifeline Order); 47 CFR §§ 54.403(a)(2)(iv)-(v).

[2] See In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete, GN Docket No. 25-133, Public Notice, DA 25-219 (rel. Mar, 12, 2025) (Delete, Delete, Delete Public Notice) (seeking public input on identifying FCC rules for the purpose of alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens).

Hear is some of their reasoning…

  1. Our decision to extend this waiver stems from careful consideration of how to continue to support a stable and robust affordable communications market through the Lifeline program. This waiver also allows the Commission time to consider the recommendations found in the Future of USF Report and options for deregulatory initiatives in the Delete, Delete, Delete[1]  These factors, in addition to ongoing subscribership to voice-only plans despite their lower support rate, lead us to find good cause to pause, until December 1, 2026, both the elimination of voice-only support and the increase in minimum service standards for mobile broadband data capacity.
  2. Voice Support Phase-Out. In each of the last two years, the Bureau paused the scheduled phase-out in Lifeline support for voice-only services due in large part to a continued reliance on voice service.[2]  Extending the waiver of the voice-only services phase-out ensures that voice-only subscribers are not required to subscribe to broadband bundled plans to maintain their access to a Lifeline-supported service.  It further permits these households to maintain access to voice service that bridges a gap in the pursuit of universal service.[3]
  3. We further find that it is in the public interest to continue to pause the complete phase-out of voice-only support to allow the Commission to fully consider the Lifeline program’s objectives and processes, consistent with the Delete, Delete, Delete Public Notice’s stated purpose of identifying FCC rules for the purpose of alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens.[4] Pausing the phase-out of voice-only support allows the Commission additional time to consider how voice service fits into a modern Lifeline program.  For all of these reasons, we find good cause to pause the phase-out in Lifeline support for voice-only services.
  4. Mobile Broadband Data Capacity Minimum Service Standard. In each of the last two years, the Bureau paused the increase to the minimum service standard for mobile broadband data capacity, primarily due to potential cost barriers that an increase would bring and data showing that Lifeline subscribers may not benefit from an increase in the usage allowance.[5]  In addition, the pause was needed to allow time for the Commission to consider recommendations to revise Lifeline minimum service standards in the Future of USF Report.[6]  The dual needs to consider future changes to this mechanism and to prevent increased capacity requirements that make service potentially more robust than needed, but prohibitively expensive, continues to support maintaining a minimum mobile broadband data capacity of 4.5 GB.

[1] See Future of USF Report, 37 FCC Rcd 10041; Delete, Delete, Delete Public Notice.

[2] 2023 Waiver Order, 38 FCC Rcd at 6100, para. 12; 2024 Waiver Order, 39 FCC Rcd at 7004, para. 12.

[3] See also 2021 Waiver Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 15546, para. 16 (finding that “retail rates for bundled broadband plans that would meet the Lifeline program’s current minimum service standards for broadband data capacity far exceed the cost of plans that would qualify as Lifeline voice-only plans,” which could require some Lifeline subscribers “to either move to a more expensive bundled broadband plan, or forego voice service altogether.”).

[4] See Delete, Delete, Delete Public Notice, at 1.

[5] See 2023 Waiver Order, 38 FCC Rcd at 6101-02, paras. 14-17; 2024 Waiver Order, 39 FCC Rcd at 7005-06, paras. 15-16.

[6] See id.

EVENT July 1: Wired for Freedom: Digital Access and the American Dream

Posted on by
Reply

Looks like an interesting event...

Days before Independence Day, the virtual gathering – slated for July 1 from 3 to 4:15 pm ET – will be centered around the theme: “Wired for Freedom: Digital Access and the American Dream.”
The agenda is shaped up to offer attendees new battlefield intelligence and how community-centered organizations and coalitions are carrying on in the face of vital funding and programming cuts. Speakers include Amy Huffman, Monica Gonzalez, Tony Batalla, Alisa Valentin, Ph.D., Autumn Evans, Patrick Messac, and more!

You can register for the event above.

As with the previous #B4DE events, the March live stream will once again be sponsored by UTOPIA Fiber and co-hosted by NDIA and ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative.

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn, connect, and make a difference as digital equity advocates across the nation are leveraging historic federal investments in the expansion of broadband access and adoption.

The livestream will be available (and later archived) on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn with live viewer questions answered by the invited speakers and presenters, which is still being finalized. We will also be live posting from the Community Broadband Networks Bluesky page.

Supreme Court finds Universal Service Fund contribution scheme and management were Constitutional

Posted on by
Reply

Broadband Breakfast reports...

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned a Fifth Circuit decision that found the $9 billion-per-year Universal Service Fund unconstitutional.

The Federal Communications Commission program supports rural broadband networks, plus internet discounts for low-income households, schools and libraries and healthcare centers. It’s been funded since the 1990s by fees on interstate voice revenue, with the accounting work delegated to the Universal Service Administrative Company, which the FCC set up for the purpose.

Conservative nonprofit Consumers’ Research had alleged the fund was unconstitutional, arguing Congress didn’t put enough guardrails on the FCC’s ability to collect fees as part of the fund, and that the agency improperly delegated authority to USAC. The Fifth Circuit had ruled the combination of the two illegally took taxing power away from the legislature.

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society on the impact of policy and broadband adoption

Posted on by
Reply

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society talks about the impact of policy and broadband adoption…

To improve broadband adoption, future growth will have to come from the same population segments that experienced adoption growth upon the pandemic’s onset. They are the segments where significant connectivity gaps remain—and thus are the most promising for attracting new subscriptions.

The takeaways for policymakers and other stakeholders are:

  • Non-deployment issues loom large in rural broadband adoption. Sizable rural broadband gaps across all income categories show how network availability gaps depress rural adoption. But low-income rural residents are far less likely to subscribe to broadband than upper-income rural households. Addressing nondeployment considerations, such as service affordability and the availability of digital skills training, needs to be part of any solution for rural broadband adoption.
  • Older adults are a promising source of future growth. More than one in five adults in the United States are over the age of 65. That age group—and, especially, the 75-and-older subgroup—has experienced strong growth in home wireline adoption in recent years, as well as large increases in subscriptions to wireless data plans. Maintaining these patterns will require not just addressing affordability but also ensuring that this population has access to digital skills training programs and community “help desks” for troubleshooting online challenges.
  • The ACP’s fingerprints are evident in recent broadband trends. This report’s analysis of ACS data shows positive changes in broadband adoption in the same places and economic groups in which recent Benton Institute research found the largest impact, namely in rural areas and among low-income households.

Losing Digital Equity Act funding will impact Minnesota

Posted on by
Reply

MinnPost reports on the impact of losing Digital Equity Act funding in Minnesota…

Continuing his crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, President Donald Trump announced he was shutting down the Digital Equity Act in May. He took to his Truth Social social media platform to accuse the bipartisan legislation passed in 2021, designed to steer grant funding to organizations working to bridge digital divides, of giving out “woke handouts based on race.”

Two projects were awarded funding in Minnesota…

Before Trump took office, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) selected a bevy of applicants for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program in early January. The page has since been pulled down but remains viewable using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

Two Minnesota-based organizations made the cut:

  • Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system — $7.3 million

Consisting of 26 colleges and seven universities, most of the campuses in Greater Minnesota, the system received notice of its grant award from NTIA on Dec. 31, 2024. NTIA’s description of the system’s project in January detailed plans for digital literacy expansion and instruction in college curriculum, training, digital navigation services, device distribution, and vouchers to connect people to internet service.

The higher education system received another notice on May 20 that its award had been terminated, stated Noelle Hawton, chief marketing and communications officer, in an email. No funds were received.

  • Hmong American Partnership — $7.3 million

The St. Paul-based Hmong American Partnership (HAP) partnered with California’s Fresno Center to apply for Digital Equity Act grant funding last fall. They proposed using the funds to build permanent digital hubs, spaces where members of the Hmong communities in Minnesota and California could access the internet and receive digital skills training. There would’ve been four hubs in total located at a HAP office in St. Paul, two charter schools in St. Paul and one at the Fresno Center.

That funding was pulled…

A brief email arrived from NTIA in May confirming that the $7.3 million in funding was no more. “Everyone was very disappointed to say the least,” Thao said. The program’s demise seems tied to the administration’s anti-DEI push, she added. Her organization specifically outlined plans for closing digital divides within Southeast Asian communities in its application.

A $500,000 grant from the state for the project offered some consolation. To see the work through, HAP will otherwise need to raise funds on its own. “We’re disappointed,” Thao said. “We’re discouraged, but the work will continue.”

For Thao’s organization, digital equity work is about preventing people from being left behind by technology. Not knowing how to use a computer, or not having broadband access, disconnects them from the modern world. Programs and resources available to them at the local, state and federal levels, Thao noted, also become harder to access.

The rural areas are most in need of broadband support…

A report prepared by Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development in 2023, a Digital Equity Act requirement at the time, stated about 67% households in Greater Minnesota have broadband subscriptions, compared to nearly 92% of households in the Twin Cities metro.

Minnesota’s first grant recipients through the program weren’t rural-focused projects, but future rounds could’ve been.

OPPORTUNITY: Net Inclusion 2026 Call for Proposals

Posted on by
Reply

An invitation from the NDIA…

NDIA is excited to announce the Net Inclusion 2026 Call for Proposals for Breakout Sessions and Workshops! It will be held February 3-5 in beautiful Chicago, IL, at the Sheraton Grand Riverwalk.

Net Inclusion 2025 in Gila River Indian Community offered 37 breakout sessions and 10 workshops and, most importantly, 240 diverse speakers sharing their expertise, innovative concepts, and digital inclusion programs. Speakers came from across the country, with many from your local communities.

We recognize the incredible work happening nationally in the field of digital equity and inclusion and invite you to share it with the NDIA community. If you wish to submit a session or workshop idea or if you’d like to be a speaker at Net Inclusion but don’t have the bandwidth to submit a session, you can do that in the same form.

Key dates and links:

  • Monday, June 16 – Breakout Sessions and Workshop Proposals Open
  • Thursday, June 26  – Information Session: Registration Link (recorded)
  • August 25  – Breakout Sessions and Workshop Proposal Closes
  • October 15 – Notifications sent out

NI2026 Breakout Session Proposal Link

NI2026 Workshop Proposal Link

FAQ Link

Register to attend the Call for Proposals Information Session on June 26 at 11:00 am Pacific/2:00 pm Eastern. Registration is required.

States, including Minnesota, talk about impact of BEAD uncertainty

Posted on by
Reply

Statescoop reports…

n the face of looming changes to the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, and headwinds created by uncertainty, several state broadband chiefs said their offices are cautiously moving ahead in their planning.

At the Fiber Broadband Association’s FiberConnect conference in Nashville this week, several state broadband chiefs shared both their frustration and trepidation regarding anticipated changes to the $42.45 billion program. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in March announced intentions to “revamp” the program, including “to cut government red tape that slows down infrastructure construction.” Lutnick also signaled his intention to remove the program’s “fiber first” stipulation, which would allow states to give more of their BEAD funding to alternative technology providers, such as satellite internet service providers — a move some states are also pushing for.

However, in some states, these yet-to-be-seen changes have had the opposite of Lutnick’s intended effect to speed things along. Some state broadband leaders said the uncertainty has forced them to slow down their BEAD projects. And, while the states were expecting these changes to be released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration last month, the guidance may not even appear until July.

They feature comments from several state representatives, including Minnesota…

Bree Maki, executive director of the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development, said her state, too, pumped the brakes on BEAD. Her office wrapped its first round of the BEAD subgrantee selection process — which includes gathering proposals from internet service providers — last April, she said, but moving onto the second round has been slowed so as not to create duplicative work for vendor applicants.

“It’s more complicated than it appears on the paper,” Maki said. “But also, you know, elephant in the room, we all know that guidance is coming. So, one thing that we really considered in the state was not to move forward too fast and put our ISPs through another grant application that might have to be redone to the beginning.”