WASHINGTON, April 14, 2022 \u2014 The head of the Commerce Department agency responsible for more than $43 billion in federal broadband infrastructure funding said that the Biden administration wouldn\u2019t be satisfied until every American had access to low-cost and broadband internet at 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mpbs upload.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a Broadband Breakfast Club event on Wednesday, National Telecommunications and Information Administration chief Alan Davidson <\/strong>said that in order to truly eliminate the digital divide, state engagement and leadership was necessary to maximize federal funding.<\/p>\n Money coming down from the from the NTIA through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act must be flexible, including extensive private contributions to projects.<\/p>\n Photo of Alan Davidson and Drew Clark (right) at Broadband Breakfast for Lunch on Wednesday by Megan Boswell<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe expect there will be flexibility,\u201d Davidson said about how much private communications companies and state funding should go toward projects. \u201cThe statute gives them that flexibility. It\u2019s not a one-size-fits-all at all,\u201d<\/p>\n The IIJA \u2013 which gives the NTIA $42.5 billion to distribute among states \u2013 requires network operators to match at least 25 percent of project costs funded by the Commerce agency\u2019s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment<\/a> program. But states could require more than a 25 percent match, Davidson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of folks out there that \u2013 if you just give them little bit more support \u2013 would be willing to do that next deployment,\u201d Davidson said. A lot of the funding won in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction will go to companies that committed to covering at least 50% of project costs, he noted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been talking about closing the digital divide in this country for over twenty years,\u201d he said, recommending states \u201creach out\u201d to the NTIA for guidance.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen this project is done, everyone in America will have access to high-speed, affordable broadband\u201d said Davidson, referring specifically to the 100 Mbps x 20 Mbps definition of high-speed broadband in IIJA.<\/p>\n Davidson also said that \u201cthere\u2019s a need for political leadership to be engaging [and] to understand the importance of [the IIJA].<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest areas that we\u2019re investing in is in the folks we\u2019re going to be working with in the states,\u201d he said. \u201cThe broadband offices in the states are going to be the key front line for a lot of this work.\u201d<\/p>\n The NTIA requested comments on the IIJA<\/a>, with the due date being February 4. It is planning on requesting additional comments later on for the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program and the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program.<\/p>\n Broadband Breakfast for Lunch at Clyde\u2019s of Gallery Place by Megan Boswell<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See the questions for Alan Davidson at the\u00a0Broadband.Money community<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Join the broadband grants community in welcoming special guest\u00a0Alan Davidson<\/strong>, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.<\/p>\n Broadband Breakfast\u2019s\u00a0Drew Clark<\/strong>\u00a0will host Alan for a fireside chat.\u00a0Broadband.money<\/a>\u00a0will also preview its platform for broadband grant application research, development, reporting and compliance. Hear Alan\u2019s vision for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, as well as $1 billion for middle mile funding, $3 billion tribal funding programs, and the interaction of BEAD and the Affordable Connectivity Program. Get his perspective on important matters, such as:<\/p>\n And more. If you have questions for Alan in advance of the event, please post them in the\u00a0Broadband.Money community<\/a>. We\u2019ll try our best to get them into the discussion.<\/p>\n Guests for this Broadband Breakfast for Lunch session:<\/strong><\/p>\n Alan Davidson<\/strong>\u00a0is an Internet policy expert with over 20 years of experience as an executive, public interest advocate, technologist, and attorney. He was most recently a Senior Advisor at the Mozilla Foundation, a global nonprofit that promotes openness, innovation, and participation on the Internet. He was previously Mozilla\u2019s Vice President of Global Policy, Trust and Security, where he led public policy and privacy teams promoting an open Internet and a healthy web. Alan served in the Obama-Biden Administration as the first Director of Digital Economy at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He started Google\u2019s public policy office in Washington, D.C., leading government relations and policy in North and South America for seven years until 2012. Alan has been a long-time leader in the Internet nonprofit community, serving as Director of New America\u2019s Open Technology Institute where he worked to promote equitable broadband access and adoption. As Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, Alan was an advocate for civil liberties and human rights online in some of the earliest Internet policy debates. Alan currently resides with his family in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Yale Law School, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.<\/p>\n Drew Clark<\/strong>\u00a0is the Editor and Publisher of\u00a0BroadbandBreakfast.com<\/a>\u00a0and a nationally-respected telecommunications attorney. Drew brings experts and practitioners together to advance the benefits provided by broadband. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he served as head of a State Broadband Initiative, the Partnership for a Connected Illinois. He is also the President of the Rural Telecommunications Congress.<\/p>\n This Broadband Breakfast for Lunch event is co-hosted with:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Photo<\/a>\u00a0by Commuter Benefits used with permission<\/em><\/p>\n The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides a number of program that, all told, provide $65 billion for broadband infrastructure investment. A part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed 69-30 last year, the measure has the promise of promoting an \u201cinfrastructure decade\u201d for the United States,\u00a0President Joe Biden\u00a0<\/strong>said in his State of the Union Address. We are excited that National Telecommunications and Information Administration chief\u00a0Alan Davidson<\/strong>, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce,\u00a0has accepted our invitation to speak about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In this second session of this Broadband Breakfast for Lunch series, Broadband Breakfast and Broadband.Money will explore what the federal government, states and infrastructure builders \u2013 public and private \u2013 should be doing to prepare for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment grant program.<\/p>\n WATCH HERE, or on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/broadbandbreakfast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/davidson.jpg?resize=740%2C555&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/broadbandbreakfast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/bbforlunch-april.jpeg?resize=740%2C555&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/broadbandbreakfast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/logo3-01-121.png?resize=740%2C86&ssl=1\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 12 Noon ET \u2014 Preparing for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: A Fireside Chat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON<\/a><\/h4>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/broadbandbreakfast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/alan-b-davidson_person_image.original.jpg?resize=740%2C518&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/broadbandbreakfast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ldshmkpb.png?resize=740%2C39&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/broadbandbreakfast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bigstock-Smart-Transport-Technology-Con-377508757.webp?resize=740%2C554&ssl=1\"){kind=spacer}
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/broadbandbreakfast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/bblo-july.png?resize=740%2C494&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n