Bicameral group of GOP lawmakers seek proper implementation of broadband programs

U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Bob Latta (R-OH) joined U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and John Thune (R-SD) in recommending how the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) should implement and further strengthen the integrity of new, federal broadband programs. 

Congress provided $65 billion in funding for broadband as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the NTIA is responsible for administering $48.2 billion of this money, according to an April 26 letter the lawmakers sent to Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson. 

Of this amount, $42.45 billion is for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will provide states grant money to award providers to deploy broadband networks in unserved areas. The other programs are intended to expand broadband deployment on tribal lands, promote digital equity, and help develop middle-mile networks, the lawmakers wrote. 

“Closing the digital divide is a top priority of Congress, but this will only be achieved if NTIA carefully administers these programs and prioritizes unserved and underserved communities based on accurate data,” wrote the lawmakers. “NTIA cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. We need to work together to ensure the BEAD program’s success.” 

Among several recommendations, they called on the NTIA to commit to using the Federal Communication Commission’s new broadband maps, once challenges are resolved, for the BEAD program, rather than relying on other data sources to supplement or substitute these maps, according to their letter.

The lawmakers also suggested that the NTIA follow the IIJA’s directions on eligible project areas to avoid overbuilding; provide an equal opportunity for all broadband providers to compete for grants by not prioritizing municipal networks or networks run by nonprofits or cooperatives, and not favoring certain broadband technologies over others; and avoid unnecessary requirements, such as net neutrality, labor regulations and rate regulation.

The NTIA also should commit to transparency by allowing the public to provide input and review how the agency arrives at its decisions, according to their letter.

“NTIA should also work closely to collect information from other agencies awarding broadband funds and ensure it does not duplicate funding in those same areas,” they wrote. “Over the past two years, Congress has created a number of programs spread across multiple agencies to support broadband deployment. Coordination among these agencies will ensure that this money is effectively and efficiently spent.”

Rep. McMorris Rodgers serves as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Rep. Latta is ranking member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee; Sen. Wicker is ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Sen. Thune is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband.