GOP Sen. Ernst Takes a Final Shot at Wasteful BEAD Spending
Retiring Iowa Republican says, ‘federal funds must be tied to specific, auditable deliverables that directly advance the connection of unserved locations to broadband’
■ Analyst Westling: CPUC Provided ‘Weak’ Legal Arguments in BEAD Response to NTIA
■ BT Delaying Rural UK Partnership with Starlink over Musk and Ukraine
■ TPI’s Wallsten Claims High Prison Call Costs Drive Contraband Mobile Phone Use
■ NVIDIA Still Worth $4 Trillion, Second Only to Apple, after CEO Huang Forced to Resign
■ AT&T Breaks Ground on Massive New Headquarters Near Dallas
■ ACA Connects Fills Vyve’s Board Vacancy but For How Long?
■ Tom Wheeler Joins Advisory Council of AI-Adjacent Firm Known
■ RIP: David Andersen, Highly Regarded Cable Industry Communications Executive
BEAD: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is pressing NTIA to ensure billions in savings from the BEAD program are spent on connecting unserved locations rather than non-deployment activities. In a letter today to NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth, Ernst praised the agency’s implementation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s Benefit of the Bargain reforms to the BEAD program, which she said are projected to save about $21 billion. She said the changes refocus the program on its statutory mission of deploying broadband infrastructure.
“Federal dollars should not be going to build out infrastructure where states have already committed to doing the same thing!” Ernst wrote, referring to NTIA efforts to remove locations already covered by state-enforceable commitments or planned service from BEAD eligibility. (More after paywall)
