Commentary: Congress needs to step in on broadband expansion

Commentary: Congress needs to step in on broadband expansion

In May, 104 homes in Bossier Parish, La.,  became the first to be connected through the broadband initiative embedded within the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It took years of planning and debate, but the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is now disbursing $20 billion to connect rural households and small businesses nationwide. However, problems remain, including basic access to utility poles and the costs of…