September 18, 2024
From Washington DC to state capitals across the country, in red states, blue states, purple states and everywhere in between, there is a clear, resounding and shared commitment to one of the top priorities for our nation – connecting our communities to the power and promise of broadband and all that it delivers.
One of the key drivers for this connectivity push is the BEAD program that was funded by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the tune of $42.5 billion. This money, which is targeted to reach unserved communities, will be an important complement to the significant investments made by broadband providers each year, to the tune of $102.4 billion invested in 2022 alone.
The BEAD program has wisely prioritized fiber networks as the gold standard for broadband technology. They are built for the future and can evolve to support ever-increasing bandwidth demands. Once deployed, fiber networks can be upgraded over time without the need for extensive infrastructure changes and is the most scalable solution, connecting consumers securely to even faster speeds, lower latencies and higher capacities. This is critical for supporting our connected world, including telehealth, remote learning, remote work, precision agriculture and so much more.
While there are certainly alternative technologies such as the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, when it comes to how best to invest government and private resources to fully and finally connect all communities through programs such as BEAD, policymakers must stay focused on achieving fiber connectivity wherever economically and logistically possible.
No doubt there will always be locations that are so remote that it may not be possible to deploy fiber, even with government funding. LEO satellites may serve an important function in connecting those locations. But this technology should be the exception for broadband funding programs, not the rule. If we are serious about fully and finally closing the digital divide, we must remain resolute in keeping our focus on fiber to connect our communities.