U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Nebraska’s proposal for $405,281,070 in broadband deployment funding through the BEAD program.
The funding for this program was initially provided by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, which Senator Fischer supported. However, the Biden-Harris administration rejected Nebraska’s earlier proposals to access this funding due to its own agency rules, which deviated from the law Congress passed. Those rejections, combined with a slow rollout at NTIA, delayed funding delivery.
Senator Fischer has worked with NTIA and Nebraska’s Broadband Office to facilitate better communication from the federal agency and ensure acceptance of the State’s proposal, which was finally announced on Wednesday.
Ultimate release of funding to the state still depends on a final proposal that will detail the funding distribution process.
“All Nebraskans need internet access, so I’m very pleased that Nebraska’s proposal for this broadband buildout funding has finally been accepted. I’d like to thank Patrick Haggerty and the Nebraska Broadband Office for their hard work in reaching this milestone. I will continue to support the advancement of Nebraska’s final proposal in the upcoming year so that we can finally bring this funding home,” said Senator Fischer.
“This is a historic federal investment for our state, and the Nebraska Broadband Office carefully gathered feedback statewide to draft this proposal. We are grateful for Senator Fischer’s dedication to expanding broadband access for every Nebraskan, and we are confident that this proposal will achieve that shared goal,” said Patrick Haggerty, State Broadband Director, Nebraska Broadband Office.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing in May, Senator Fischer pressed Commerce Department Secretary Gina Raimondo on NTIA’s misguided rate regulation efforts, which caused the proposal rejections.
Senator Fischer also joined her Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding her mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives, which President Biden specifically tasked her to manage.
Senator Fischer also sent letters to NTIA and the Commerce Department voicing concerns with the Biden-Harris administration’s additional barriers and hurdles to federal broadband deployment programs. The additional requirements not only went beyond Congress’ direction, but also delayed internet services to unserved and underserved Americans.