Eligibility of 1.4 Million Locations for BEAD Funding at Stake as NTIA Weighs a Critical Decision

Approximately 1.4 million locations currently eligible for funding in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program would not be eligible if the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) were to change its definition of “reliable” broadband, according to an analysis by telecom consultancy Vantage Point Solutions. At issue is whether fixed wireless access (FWA) service deployed in unlicensed spectrum bands is considered “reliable.” Currently, NTIA doesn’t consider it to be reliable because of concerns about the long-term ability of unlicensed spectrum to support network performance requirements. FWA providers say those concerns are overblown. NTIA’s definition impacts an area’s eligibility for BEAD funding because areas lacking “reliable” service at speeds of at least 25/3 Mbps are considered unserved and eligible for BEAD funding, and areas lacking “reliable” service at speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps are considered underserved and are also eligible. Reliable service is defined to include “cable modem/hybrid fiber coax technology, digital subscriber line (DSL) and fixed wireless using entirely licensed spectrum or a hybrid of licensed and unlicensed spectrum.”