Session 142: BEAD News with Doug Dawson"

Libraries in Response

Session 142: BEAD News with Doug Dawson"

Latest Developments

Speaker:

Doug Dawson
President, CCG Consulting

Years of painstaking detailed state by state broadband expansion plan development has been thrown into disarray.

In June 2023, under the Biden administration, $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment grants were handed to 56 states and territories.

The goal was to build out high-speed internet using whatever technology was best, though fiber-optic cables are considered the gold standard of internet infrastructure.

The BEAD Program’s progress has been delayed due to changes, and some experts have criticized the shift to infuse a nonpartisan program with partisan issues.

• The Trump administration has changed guidance for a federal broadband grant program, urging states to prioritize lower-cost internet projects.
• Experts warn that shifting focus from fiber-optic cables to cheaper options like fixed wireless will result in a less durable, lower-quality internet infrastructure for the states.

Join to get the latest analysis on impacts and possible strategies from Doug Dawson.

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All prior session recordings found on the LIR YouTube channel.