Three Challenges for 2024

State policymakers face a big test—how to best spend the almost $272 million the Commerce Department allocated from its Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program as well as the funding the state receives under the Digital Equity Act. Today I want to look ahead to 2024 and talk about three challenges that all states, including Maine, will face. I also want to suggest how states can meet these challenges to ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime funding secures fast, affordable and reliable broadband Internet access for every US household. 

• Challenge #1 Timing: In the next year or so, every state must conduct a state-wide BEAD mapping challenge and finalize a list of BEAD grant winners.
• Challenge #2 Affordability for low-income and middle-class households may be the biggest barrier to achieving the BEAD program’s goal of universal connectivity.
• Challenge #3 Oversight:  Regardless of which broadband providers ultimately win BEAD grants, it is critical that both federal and state government officials conduct consistent oversight to ensure that the promised networks actually get built and in a timely fashion. 

The challenges I’ve set out today can seem overwhelming, especially to state broadband officials and constituents who have limited resources and tight deadlines. But they can be overcome if federal, state and local officials, community anchor institutions, industry, civil society and individual stakeholders work in concert. We must ensure that the BEAD money goes to those who can and will build fast and reliable networks to every household in a community, not just some.