LEO and BEAD: A Last Resort

The broadband industry is sitting on the precipice of a historic moment. Over the past three years the NTIA has allocated over 42 billion dollars to get underserved Americans access to high-speed broadband. Currently, Louisiana is leading the charge to get the money in hands of internet providers via its Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) grant program.

As the grants continue to roll out, questions around the technology being used to close the digital divide have started taking center stage. The NTIA continues to advocate for a “fiber-first” approach but acknowledges that alternative technologies, such as fixed-wireless or low-earth-orbit-satellites, can help fill the connectivity gap as fiber deployments continue to expand.

However, allocating these funds without proper foresight has the potential to derail this infrastructure development project, as pointed out by Cheri Beranek in The Fast Mode article – The LEO Controversy: What To Consider Before Allocating BEAD Funds to Satellite Internet.

Beranek succinctly states, “Of course, states have to balance the federal mandate to prioritize fiber with providing internet for all, and some claim this is why BEAD rules should be flexible enough to include LEOs as an option. Still, the best first path where fiber is not possible should be to extend fiber as far as we can. Then, if obstacles prevent new cable lines, FWA offers a fiber-backed signal converted from a terrestrial to an over-the-air interface for the last mile. Experts have even argued that unlicensed FWA would offer a better alternative to an all-fiber network than satellite because it lays a stepping stone to better service in those regions down the line.”