Different groups are calling on the Biden Administration to use a technology-neutral approach to handing out billions in broadband funding as a way to make sure those buildouts can handle "differing levels of infrastructure as well as differing topographies and population densities."
In a letter to Alan Davidson, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the groups -- from ACT: The App Association and Connect America Now to Voices for Innovation -- argued against limiting which broadband technologies are eligible for the money.
The comments were in advance of Friday's deadline for weighing in on NTIA's administration of the vast majority of the $65 billion.
Also: White House Issues Guide to Broadband Billions
The administration has been signaling that it prefers fiber buildouts. But the groups said that everything from wired to wireless to fixed wireless to satellite broadband should have a shot at the money. That, they said, "allows for rapid deployment of broadband network solutions and maximizes the reach of government dollars in building networks and connecting consumers."
They argue that a tech neutral approach is the best one for several reasons, including that it gives providers the flexibility to use the most cost-effective approach, will help them deploy rapidly and cut down on the chance of overbuilding, though the administration is anticipating some of that overbuilding will happen in order to reach the unserved while staying in business.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated about $65 billion for broadband, divided among more than a half-dozen programs.
That $65 billion was the Republican counteroffer to Biden's proposed $100 billion-plus in broadband funding.
The GOP’s $65 billion figure came from the $81 billion in revenue the FCC's C-band auction raised, minus the $16 billion it will cost for the repacking and reallocation of that spectrum. ■
