On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held a technical workshop on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) proceeding it is undertaking to implement the federal broadband infrastructure funding program. The workshop included an overview of the BEAD program by a representative of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA); presentations by CPUC staff on key policy issues to be addressed in the BEAD Initial Proposal; and panel discussions of selected topics in the proceeding. Scott Armstrong, the Regional Broadband Coordinator with Inyo County and Len De Groot, Information Technology Project Manager with Tuolumne County were panelists offering their expertise and perspective on rural broadband efforts.
The BEAD program provides $42.45 billion nationally to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states. California has been allocated approximately $1.86 billion under BEAD based on the federal government's calculation of California's share of unserved locations nationally. The CPUC is expected to release a staff proposal outlining program rules very soon as the state must provide NTIA with a plan for implementing BEAD by the end of the year. For more information contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Tracy Rhine.