What’s new at Digital Equity: All BEAD proposals approved

This week in What’s New in Digital Equity – our weekly look at government digital equity and broadband news – we have a number of interesting articles that you can jump to using the links below:

ALL BEAD SUGGESTIONS APPROVED

As of this week, all 56 states and territories have received approval for their initial proposals to fund the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Texas was the last state to receive this approval, giving the state access to funding up to the allocated amount – more than $3.3 billion.

With these initial proposals approved, BEAD-eligible entities in U.S. states and territories can now begin funding and implementation planning.

For more information about what the BEAD program rollout will look like in Texas, visit the state comptroller’s website.

Although many policy changes are expected under a new presidential administration, expansion of the BEAD program is unlikely to be paused, experts say. Designed as a 10-year project, the program was launched with the expectation of changes in political leadership. However, one possible change is that under a new administration, the BEAD program may become more “technology neutral,” moving away from a fiber-only model – or a preferred fiber model – to include other communications infrastructure options. This could open up the possibility of seeing more satellite systems.

The BEAD program was created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), historic legislation that celebrated the three-year anniversary of its passage this week.

Since the passage of the IIJA, the federal government has announced $568 billion for more than 66,000 projects nationwide. The legislation has led to significant investments in infrastructure, from roads and bridges to broadband. Under the current administration, 2.4 million homes and businesses have been connected to high-speed internet for the first time.

FCC Leadership Changes Hands: Industry Reacts

Future US President Donald Trump has appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr as Chairman of the FCC.

Carr will take over the position from former Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, who was first named acting chair in January 2021 and confirmed as permanent chair by the U.S. Senate later that same year.

The FCC is typically divided along party lines, leading to a sort of political gridlock at times. Therefore, the change in leadership under a new government comes as no surprise, but industry reactions have been mixed.

Rosenworcel herself congratulated Carr on his appointment to the position, saying she was confident in his understanding of the staff, the responsibilities of the chair position, and the importance of U.S. leadership in communications. Three days after making this statement, Rosenworcel announced her intention to resign from the FCC on January 20.

Another FCC commissioner, Anna M. Gomez, said in a statement that she looked forward to working with Carr to “ensure we faithfully implement the Communications Act and other congressional mandates to serve the public.”

David Dorwart, president of the National Lifeline Association, expressed optimism about the possibility of working with Carr on reform and reimbursement of the Universal Service Fund and the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Joe Kane, director of broadband and spectrum policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, called on the FCC in a statement to prioritize policies that mitigate the digital divide and prevent FCC overreach: “An agenda to carefully adhere to the “The FCC’s limited jurisdiction will be essential.”

Lilian Coral, director of the Open Technology Institute and vice president of technology and democracy programs at New America, issued a less neutral statement: “We strongly disagree with many of Commissioner Carr’s positions and statements,” the statement said, pointing to The organization’s aim is to find areas of agreement while underlining its commitment to defending measures to promote competition and protect consumers.

Carr is eager to work with the new administration and pledged in a statement to stop working on “any partisan or controversial matter and focus on the transition.”

NORTH CAROLINA ANNOUNCES 211 PARTNERSHIP

In state news, the North Carolina Department of Information and Technology’s Division of Broadband and Digital Equity announced a partnership with NC 211 to help state residents access resources to support digital inclusion.

NC 211 plays a critical role in connecting residents to local services, especially in emergencies, and internet access and technical support are now included in the services it informs the public about.

“The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene demonstrated the hardships of not having access to online information and services,” NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Jim Weaver said in a statement, emphasizing that this partnership will help will help overcome this challenge.

MARYLAND INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT COMPUTING CENTERS

In addition, applications are now open for the Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband’s new Computer Labs program. The initiative will provide $2 million in grants to support local governments and partners in establishing and expanding computer laboratories and centers in the state. This program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The majority of individuals served by these facilities must be from one or more underserved populations: people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, people who are incarcerated or have been previously incarcerated, or veterans.

The application deadline is November 29th. For more information, visit the Office of Statewide Broadband Grant Programs page.

NDIA RECOGNIZES NATIVE ENTITIES

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance has announced the inaugural honorees of the organization’s new Seven Star Communities program.

The program was launched this summer to recognize local companies for their work on digital inclusion. It is also intended to serve as a knowledge sharing resource for best practices by and for tribal entities.

The following native nations and communities were recognized: Alliance for Navajo Broadband, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Gila River Indian Community, Gila River Telecommunications Inc., Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District, Jemez Pueblo Tribal Network, Mohawk Networks LLC and Sṕq́ńiʔ Broadband Services.

One of these entities, the Gila River Indian Community, is also the site for Net Inclusion 2025.