excalibur
Diamond Member
- Mar 19, 2015
- 19,558
- 37,537
- 2,290
The adults are back in charge! 
And you have to wonder where at least some of that money has gotten to because there is too much temptation involved.
Residents in rural America are eager to access high-speed internet under a $42.5 billion federal modernization program, but not a single home or business has been connected to new broadband networks nearly three years after President Biden signed the funding into law, and no project will break ground until sometime next year.
Lawmakers and internet companies blame the slow rollout on burdensome requirements for obtaining the funds, including climate change mandates, preferences for hiring union workers and the requirement that eligible companies prioritize the employment of “justice-impacted” people with criminal records to install broadband equipment.
The Commerce Department, which is distributing the funds under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, is also attempting to regulate consumer rates, lawmakers say. This puts them at odds with internet providers and congressional Republicans, who say the law prohibits such regulation.
The slow pace of funding allocation and compliance will push the project start dates for modernizing rural internet access to 2025 and 2026, according to a timeline officials outlined in a House budget hearing.
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr said the program’s goal of providing high-speed internet to most underserved areas will not be fully realized until 2030, nine years after its enactment.
Rural areas have been waiting a long time for broadband service. Many rely on slow internet that travels over copper lines and are unable to transmit large amounts of data. Some areas have no internet at all.
“There hasn’t been a single shovel’s worth of dirt that has even been turned towards connecting people,” Mr. Carr said.
As of this month, nine states and the District of Columbia have been approved for the BEAD program. President Biden signed the funding into law in November 2021 as part of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. All 56 states and territories have submitted initial proposals seeking a portion of the $42.5 billion.
...
www.washingtontimes.com
And you have to wonder where at least some of that money has gotten to because there is too much temptation involved.
Residents in rural America are eager to access high-speed internet under a $42.5 billion federal modernization program, but not a single home or business has been connected to new broadband networks nearly three years after President Biden signed the funding into law, and no project will break ground until sometime next year.
Lawmakers and internet companies blame the slow rollout on burdensome requirements for obtaining the funds, including climate change mandates, preferences for hiring union workers and the requirement that eligible companies prioritize the employment of “justice-impacted” people with criminal records to install broadband equipment.
The Commerce Department, which is distributing the funds under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, is also attempting to regulate consumer rates, lawmakers say. This puts them at odds with internet providers and congressional Republicans, who say the law prohibits such regulation.
The slow pace of funding allocation and compliance will push the project start dates for modernizing rural internet access to 2025 and 2026, according to a timeline officials outlined in a House budget hearing.
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr said the program’s goal of providing high-speed internet to most underserved areas will not be fully realized until 2030, nine years after its enactment.
Rural areas have been waiting a long time for broadband service. Many rely on slow internet that travels over copper lines and are unable to transmit large amounts of data. Some areas have no internet at all.
“There hasn’t been a single shovel’s worth of dirt that has even been turned towards connecting people,” Mr. Carr said.
As of this month, nine states and the District of Columbia have been approved for the BEAD program. President Biden signed the funding into law in November 2021 as part of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. All 56 states and territories have submitted initial proposals seeking a portion of the $42.5 billion.
...
Americans still waiting on Biden broadband plan; rural high-speed internet stuck in Dems’ red tape
Residents in rural America are eager to access high-speed internet under a $42.5 billion federal modernization program, but not a single home or business has been connected to new broadband networks nearly three years after President Biden signed the funding into law, and no project will break...
www.washingtontimes.com
