Georgia and Wisconsin have formally expressed their desire for the U.S. Department of Commerce to preserve the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program without alterations. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers emphasized that his state relied on BEAD funding to address broadband needs, citing a lack of state legislative approval for additional funding. The states argue that any changes could hinder progress on broadband initiatives, with Georgia's U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff also advocating for the program's stability. The growing consensus among states underlines the significance of BEAD investments for expanding high-speed internet access.
NTIA should not make any changes that will slow down our states' already-approved program plans and the tremendous progress we have made in implementing those plans.
In BEAD, Congress created a program that gave states the power to create state-specific programs to suit our needs. NTIA must continue to allow states to make the choices that will best allow Wisconsinite's homes and businesses to get online quickly.
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