Eager for high-speed internet, rural Americans have been left waiting as a $42.5 billion federal initiative to modernize broadband remains mired in bureaucratic hurdles. Nearly three years after President Biden authorized the funding, not a single home or business has been connected to the new broadband networks, and construction isn’t expected to commence until next year.
The sluggish progress is attributed to complex requirements for securing the funds. These include stipulations related to climate change, preferences for hiring union workers, and mandates to prioritize employing individuals with criminal records, referred to as “justice-impacted” people, for installing broadband infrastructure.
The Commerce Department, responsible for distributing the funds through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, is also seeking to regulate consumer rates. This regulatory approach has caused friction with internet providers and congressional Republicans, who argue that the law does not permit such oversight.
Due to these administrative and compliance issues, the timelines for initiating projects to enhance rural internet access are now pushed to 2025 and 2026, as presented in a recent House budget hearing. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr noted that the goal of delivering high-speed internet to most underserved regions might not be achieved until 2030, a full nine years after the program’s inception.
Rural communities have long awaited broadband service, with many still relying on outdated copper lines incapable of handling large data transmissions, and some areas lacking internet access altogether. “Not a single bit of progress has been made towards connecting people,” Mr. Carr remarked.