NCTA–The Internet & Television Association and ACA Connects have joined with the other major broadband associations to school state broadband leaders, the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA), and others on the “opportunities, challenges and mitigation strategies“ of the Broadband Equity, Access and Development (BEAD) program.
“Our primary goal is to make it as easy and efficient as possible to navigate through the BEAD program’s requirements and potential deployment challenges,” they said. They could have added, but didn't, that they preferably navigate their subsidies toward the associations’ broadband-deploying members.
BEAD is the $42.5 billion in state broadband deployment grants being overseen by the NTIA and which is available to those major broadband association members and others — like municipal broadband and co-ops — through a raft of subsidies.
The broadband groups say they plan to hold monthly, half-hour webinars, starting Wednesday, September 14, at 1 p.m. and continuing every second Wednesday of the month through January.
The initial dates and topics are:
- September 14: Supply Chain/Build America, Buy America
- October 12: Workforce Development
- November 9: Affordability
- December 14: Permitting/Rights-of-Way
- January 11: Cybersecurity
Future topics, according to the groups, could include on best practices and maximizing provider participation.
"Congress, via the NTIA, has presented our industry with a monumental opportunity to close the digital equity gap for good. The leading industry associations have aligned to present this monthly webinar series and attendees will be able to leverage our united expertise and bring back proven broadband deployment tips and best practices to their own communities.” ■
