- BEAD Non-Deployment Funds
- Arkansas Offers Tech Training
- N.C. Post-Hurricane Broadband Program
- Rural Broadband Legislation Reintroduced
- Localities Build Fiber Internet
- Brownsville Digital Literacy Classes
BEAD NON-DEPLOYMENT FUNDS
Time is running out to advocate for guidance from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on how states can use Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program non-deployment funds, as underlined by a new blog from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), a nonprofit organization focused on addressing digital inequities.
Stakeholders have been seeking clarity on “allowable non-deployment activities” since the changes to BEAD program rules were issued this summer. A group of U.S. representatives called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Assistant Secretary Arielle Roth this summer in a letter urging them to provide clarity on how non-deployment funds can be used, noting that Congress intentionally included flexibility on BEAD funding uses.
Roth delivered a speech Oct. 28 related to BEAD, in which she explained NTIA is still considering how these funds can be used: “No final decisions have been made, but this could be a powerful way to advance BEAD’s goals.”
NDIA’s blog says that it is not too late to advocate to both NTIA and Congress to allow states to use these funds as Congress intended when the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed: to support broadband adoption.
However, the blog also notes that outreach and education — both for NTIA and Congress — is necessary. NDIA provided three templates to be customized and used in these efforts.
The NDIA blog also detailed another part of Roth’s statement, in which she said that any state receiving BEAD funds must make BEAD providers exempt from broadband economic regulations like prices and net neutrality. This, the blog explained, means states that pass legislation to make broadband more affordable cannot apply those rules to BEAD-funded networks.
Experts argue that Roth is misinterpreting the law, per an article from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community Networks project. The article quotes Stephanie Weiner, federal alumni fellow at Georgetown Law School Institute for Technology Law and Policy, and former legal adviser at the FCC: “I do not see any source of authority that would support NTIA’s express or implied preemption of such state laws, particularly for the provision of service outside of BEAD locations.”
On a separate but related note, The Pew Charitable Trusts released a brief indicating that the demand for broadband workforce is expected to increase to meet the BEAD requirements. However, as demand increases, the telecommunications workforce is shrinking. The brief argued that better data could help create training programs, which, along with competitive wages, could help to address workforce needs.
ARKANSAS OFFERS TECH TRAINING
Arkansas is aiming to build its workforce to keep up with the pace of technology-driven changes with a new public-private partnership.
The Arkansas Department of Commerce announced a partnership with Google in October to launch the Grow with Google initiative, through which free access to job training programs will be available to thousands of state residents. The job training programs provide certificates and credentialing in fields including cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, and IT support.
Arkansans over the age of 18 can sign up for a free scholarship to enroll in eligible programs at no cost on the Arkansas Department of Commerce’s website.
“Across the state, there are talented Arkansans who are ready to work for great companies,” Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald said in a statement, emphasizing the partnership will “equip them with the digital skills that will make them invaluable” to Arkansas companies.
N.C. POST-HURRICANE BROADBAND PROGRAM
In other state news, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has announced a $50 million Broadband Recovery Program, which aims to help Internet service providers rebuild and repair infrastructure impacted by Hurricane Helene through grant funding.
Stein signed legislation in August allocating funds to restore Internet access, making this program possible. It will prioritize funding for projects that restore broadband service.
“Connectivity is essential to resilience,” North Carolina Department of Information Technology Secretary and CIO Teena Piccione said in a statement.
Providers can submit applications and estimated project costs through Nov. 24. The program website has more information about the program, eligibility and applications.
RURAL BROADBAND LEGISLATION REINTRODUCED
The bipartisan ReConnecting Rural America Act was reintroduced last week in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would bolster the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program, which expands high-speed Internet access in rural communities.
Sen. Roger Marshall, one of the senators who reintroduced this legislation, likened investing in Internet to investment in U.S. highways in the 1950s, in a statement.
The act, if passed, would establish build-out speeds for the program. Among its other provisions, it would clarify that USDA can make grant-loan combinations under the program, establish clear definitions to ensure the legislation prioritizes serving those who need connectivity most, and improve coordination among stakeholders.
LOCALITIES BUILD FIBER INTERNET
In local news, a fiber Internet expansion project wrapped up in the city of San Antonio. The project, a partnership between the city and AT&T, will bring Internet access to more than 20,000 new locations. In addition to the Internet expansion, AT&T with the nonprofit organization Human-I-T provided 65 refurbished laptops to Restore Education, to distribute to San Antonians.
In Santa Cruz, Cruzio, a local Internet provider, has completed an endeavor dubbed Equal Access Summits to the Sea. The project launched with a $5.65 million grant approved in 2024 by the California Public Utilities Commission.
And in Washington, Ezee Fiber has kicked off construction on its fiber network project in Des Moines and Puyallup, which will provide fiber-to-the-home connections for residents.
BROWNSVILLE DIGITAL LITERACY CLASSES
Texas’ Brownsville Public Library System has announced its free digital literacy classes for November. The topics include Northstar Digital Literacy, LinkedIn Learning and Newspaper Archives, to help individuals in the community learn to navigate the Internet. Classes are offered at two library branches, Southmost and Main.
Public libraries play an essential role in achieving digital equity. These classes build on the Brownsville Public Library System’s ongoing digital literacy training work. They are one component of the city’s broader effort to connect the community to Internet.
“There’s no such thing as a smart city without a connection,” city CIO Jorge Cardenas previously told Government Technology.
