Not a cent or deployment of internet access to even one household, says a North Carolina congressman, has been delivered from the Biden administration’s BEAD Act.
“This is unacceptable,” said U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee from within the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce.
He’s filed legislation, the SPEED for BEAD Act, to improve the access to broadband. Whereas the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program was thought to do that in all 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last week “pointless requirements” have created a struggle.
“Under my leadership, the Commerce Department has launched a rigorous review of the BEAD program,” Lutnick said. “The department is ripping out the Biden administration’s pointless requirements. It is revamping the BEAD program to take a tech-neutral approach that is rigorously driven by outcomes, so states can provide internet access for the lowest cost.”
Hudson said too many Americans don’t have access.
“Yet, not a cent of the BEAD funds have been put towards actual deployment for even one household,” he said. “This is unacceptable. Our rural communities need to be fully connected, and this legislation will do that.”
The acronym is Streamlining Program Efficiency and Expanding Deployment for BEAD Act.
The legislation would rename the program and focus on the original intent rather than other issues, a release says.
Also, it clarifies that the “program can utilize all technologies to close the digital divide; ensures that funds are used for deployment and workforce development; allows providers more flexibility in the projects they choose to bid on; eliminates the burdensome conditions imposed by the Biden administration, including those related to labor, climate change, and rate regulation, that made deployment more expensive and participation less attractive.”
House Resolution 1870 is in the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the House.
“Let’s face it,” said Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., in last week’s subcommittee meeting. “The past four years under the Biden Harris administration has been nothing short of a disaster for broadband deployment and expansion to America, and it’s because of the permitting process.”
Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., said her experience in the state Senate back home is beneficial.
“As noted in some of your testimonies,” she said, “we have seen overbuilding technologies that are picking winners and losers in some of these funding opportunities. One of the things that I wanted to do is make sure that any broadband that was deployed went to areas that had zero access first and then we would build up toward higher speeds.”
The legislation is supported by ACA Connects; the Fiber Broadband Association; INCOMPAS; NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association; USTelecom; WISPA; and NCTA – The Internet & Television Association. Respectively, acronyms for those include America’s Communications Association; INCOMPAS is formerly known as COMPTEL and is a trade association; National Tile Contractors Association; and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.
