NTIA Responds to GAO Report: ‘Alignment Can Be Challenging’
NTIA outlined several recommendations in its response to the government watchdog agency.
Jericho Casper
WASHINGTON, September 9, 2024 – The federal government is taking steps to address inefficiencies in its more than 100 broadband expansion programs following a Government Accountability Office report that called for improved coordination.
In response to the GAO on Friday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration identified key obstacles preventing efficient alignment among the 15 federal agencies managing broadband expansion efforts, and proposed legislative solutions.
In its response, NTIA, which oversees the $42.5 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program, acknowledged the need for greater program alignment, but emphasized “alignment can be challenging. Programs are authorized at different points in time and impose different deployment obligations, timelines, and technical specifications.”
The GAO, an independent agency that oversees how taxpayer dollars are spent, has urged NTIA to improve interagency coordination since May 2022, when it reported finding significant fragmentation and overlap across federal broadband initiatives.
Along with asking NTIA to submit a detailed report to Congress, the GAO’s May 2022 report also pressed NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson to testify before Congress on the issue and urged the Executive Office of the President to create a national broadband strategy.
The agency outlined several recommendations in its response, including:
- Program alignment at the authorization stage to reduce unnecessary complexity and variation;
- Funding coordination to minimize duplicative awards and ensure the most efficient use of funds;
- Data collection and mapping efforts including incentivizing states to contribute data to the Broadband Funding Map;
- Common policies to adjust awards in case of duplicative funding; and
- Memorandum of Understanding revisions that would introduce a review period for other agencies and State Broadband Offices before any funding decisions are finalized.
Capitol Hill has also attempted to bring oversight to the administration of government-led broadband expansion efforts through the NTIA Reauthorization Act. Passed by the House in May, the Reauthorization Act echoed many of the demands of NTIA outlined in the GAO report.
The Act, which stalled after clearing he Senate Commerce Committee in July, would mandate that NTIA develop a strategy for coordinating federal broadband initiatives to prevent duplicative efforts and ensure resources reach unserved and underserved communities.
“More work can be done by both Congress and the Executive Branch to ensure federal funding for broadband access is used efficiently,” NTIA said Friday.
