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Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Wednesday, January 6: Broadband and the Biden Administration, Part 3
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the January 6, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE.
Also read “Building Better Broadband Underscores Joe Biden’s Top Policy Initiatives,” By Jericho Casper, Broadband Breakfast, January 5, 2021
Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 12 Noon ET — “Broadband and the Biden Administration”
- What changes will the administration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris bring for the country’s use of broadband technologies? How will the technology and communications industries be affected? Will public policy on controversial tech policy issues, including Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, be markedly different from today? What does the quest for “universal broadband” mean? Tune in to hear what non-profit advocacy groups believe is likely to happen, come January 20, 2021.
- From BuildBackBetter.com, the Biden-Harris transition team web site, we read:
- Mobilize American ingenuity to build a modern infrastructure and an equitable, clean energy future. We’ve seen the need for a more resilient economy for the long-term, and that means investing in a modern, sustainable infrastructure and sustainable engines of growth — from roads and bridges, to energy grids and schools, to universal broadband. Biden has a plan to meet the climate crisis, build a clean energy economy, address environmental injustice, and create millions of good-paying union jobs.
WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Panelists include:
- Chris Lewis, President and CEO, Public Knowledge
- Shane Tews, Visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, President of Logan Circle Strategies
- Joshua Stager, Senior Counsel, New America’s Open Technology Institute
- Drew Clark (Moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Christopher Lewis is President and CEO at Public Knowledge. Prior to being elevated to President and CEO, Chris served for as PK’s Vice President from 2012 to 2019 where he led the organization’s day-to-day advocacy and political strategy on Capitol Hill and at government agencies. During that time he also served as a local elected official, serving two terms on the Alexandria City Public School Board. Chris serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Local Self Reliance and represents Public Knowledge on the Board of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group.
Shane Tews is President of Logan Circle Strategies and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Shane has worked in technology policy for two decades focusing on
Internet Governance, broadband connectivity, data protection, network standards, cybersecurity and information technology industry regulations globally. You can find her work at AEI.
Joshua Stager is senior counsel at New America’s Open Technology Institute, where he leads OTI’s legislative and regulatory advocacy in Congress and at the FCC. Josh’s work focuses on broadband connectivity, net neutrality, digital equity, and antitrust enforcement. Prior to OTI, he worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Al Franken and Congresswoman Betty McCollum.
Panelist resources
- “To Close the Digital Divide, Congress Must Care About All Americans,” By Chris Lewis, Morning Consult, May 13, 2020
- Articles on AEI by Shane Tews
- “OTI’s Recommendations for the 2020 Party Platforms,” New America’s Open Technology Institute, July 2020
- “The Cost of Broadband is Too Damned High,” By Joshua Stager, Tech Policy Greenhouse, Dec. 14, 2020
- “Building Better Broadband Underscores Joe Biden’s Top Policy Initiatives,” By Jericho Casper, Broadband Breakfast, January 5, 2021
See the article about “Broadband and the Biden Administration, Part 1,” “In Discussing ‘Broadband and the Biden Administration,’ Trump and Obama Transition Workers Praise Auctions,” Broadband Breakfast, November 22, 2020.
See the article from Part 2, “Congress Can Rewrite the Telecom Act as It Funds Internet Infrastructure, Say Broadband Breakfast Panelists,” Broadband Breakfast, December 3, 2020
“Broadband and the Biden Administration” is sponsored by:
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
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State Broadband Heads Address BEAD Implementation Focuses
Broadband leaders touched on letter of credit requirements, subgrant timelines, and speed test data.

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2023 – Three state broadband leaders highlighted at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Wednesday key points of focus ahead of their implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
The BEAD program allocates $42.5 billion to states for expanding broadband infrastructure. States are in the process of releasing their initial proposals for administering the program – due to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration by December 27 – and hearing public comments.
The conversation was a preview of some topics up for discussion with state broadband heads, BEAD and other federal grant program officials, and service providers at the Broadband Breakfast BEAD Implementation Summit Thursday. Registration is open for in-person and virtual attendance.
Subgrantee selection timeline
States will have one year from the approval of their initial proposals to award subgrants under the program and submit their final proposals to the NTIA. Those awards have to be allocated via a bidding process.
Getting that done will be difficult, said Jim Stritzinger, the head of South Carolina’s broadband office.
“It’s really, really hard to deploy $551 million in 12 months,” he said. “And other states have much larger allocations than ours, I don’t know how they’re going to do it.”
Brian Newby of the North Dakota Broadband Program, echoed the concern.
“I am concerned that there will be locations that just won’t be bid on,” he said, and a second round of bidding to hit those areas would be difficult to fit in before the deadline.
Stritzinger noted that state offices are permitted under NTIA rules to negotiate directly with providers to BEAD-supported infrastructure in areas missed by the bidding process, rather than open a second round, which could save time, he said.
Letters of credit
BEAD requires grant recipients to get letters of credit from banks for 25 percent of the funds they receive to undertake projects. The requirement has been flagged by the industry as potentially blocking smaller providers from being able to accept grants.
The requirement still applies to publicly owned entities, Vermont broadband director Christine Hallquist noted. That will be a problem in Vermont, she said, where some communications infrastructure is owned by coalitions of towns.
“Municipalities just do not have that kind of money,” she said.
Speed test data
The broadband heads also noted the importance of reliable locations in speed test data. When speed tests are run in computer browsers, as opposed to direct measurements from equipment or from GPS-enabled devices like smartphones, they have less precise locations attached to them.
“You could very easily see a bunch of speed tests stacking up on a single dot in the center of a zip code,” Stritzinger said. “You have to be careful about that.”
Hallquist emphasized collecting speed data from different points along a network’s infrastructure to pinpoint where speed loss is happening.
“We want to help people address all of the issues that are a part of that stream of data,” she said.
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 – Preview of BEAD Implementation Summit
Ahead of the Broadband Breakfast BEAD’s Implementation Summit on September 21, this free live online event will offer a sneak peek into what the summit has in store. It will set the stage for the upcoming panels, including a roundtable with state broadband officers, a discussion of past broadband efforts, the role of public-private partnerships and a town hall session on problems still to tackle. Tune in to see what’s in store at the BEAD Implementation Summit in Washington on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
Panelists
- Brian Newby, Director, North Dakota Broadband Program Director
- Jim Stritzinger, Director, South Carolina Broadband Office
- Christine Hallquist, Executive Director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Register for the BEAD Implementation Summit on September 21, 2023.
Brian Newby leads the North Dakota State Broadband Office, targeting broadband for all in North Dakota by administering more than $175 million in federal grants. Formerly served as the State Election Director at the North Dakota Secretary of State; previously was the Executive Director for U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a federal government agency, and Election Commissioner for Johnson County, the largest jurisdiction in Kansas and in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Before elections, worked as director of strategy for Sprint’s $10 billion Global Markets Group.
As part of the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, Jim Stritzingerserves as Director of the Broadband Office which was formed in July 2021. He manages a full-time team of five and is directly responsible for ensuring the rapid deployment of broadband infrastructure statewide and overseeing $1 billion in state and federal grant investments.
Christine Hallquist is the Executive Director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board. Their mission is to connect every Vermont address to fiber, make it affordable and maximize positive social impact. Christine was the former CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative.
Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.
Register for the BEAD Implementation Summit on September 21, 2023.
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Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 – Broadband Deployment from India, Australia, South Africa
What can the United States learn from fascinating broadband deployments in the Global South?

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, October 25 – International Examples of Broadband Deployment – India, Australia, South Africa
As the United States channels unprecedented investments into broadband expansion, the nation’s counterparts worldwide are also ramping up their deployment efforts. In India, nearly 900 million out of its 1.4 billion population have adopted broadband services as of December 2022. Meanwhile, Australia said it’s on track to deliver broadband download speeds of at least 500 megabits per second to 90 percent of its homes and businesses by 2025. Across the ocean, South Africa is also making great strides in broadband buildouts. What lies behind such rapid expansion in those countries? How do they compare to the U.S.’s initiative under the bipartisan infrastructure law?
Panelists
- Panelists have been invited
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
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Broadband Breakfast on October 11, 2023 – Spectrum Sharing: How Promising and How Real Is It?
Some see potential in advancing 5G technology while others worry about connectivity performance

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, October 11 – Spectrum Sharing: How Promising and How Real Is It?
The practice of spectrum sharing, where multiple operators coexist within the same bandwidth, is often lauded as a solution to the limited availability of spectrum. Some view it as a promising avenue for advancing 5G technology and beyond, potentially with the aid of artificial intelligence. However, critics contend that crowding may hinder and degrade connectivity performance. In light of the FCC’s recent plans to open up more spectrum for commercial use, what lies ahead for spectrum management and licensing? How can regulators strike a balance between expanding sharing opportunities and ensuring optimal connectivity?
Panelists
- Panelists have been invited
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
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