FBA Response to President Biden’s Announcement of BEAD State Allocations

The Fiber Broadband Association was honored to join President Biden and senior Administration officials at the White House in celebrating the allocation of $42.5 billion of broadband funding enabled by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. The Association appreciates the leadership of the President in bringing the country one step closer to closing the digital divide and the Administration’s prioritization of fiber to connect all U.S. residents with reliable, high-speed broadband.

Laying fiber optic cable will not only help increase the quality of life in communities and close the digital equity gap but as President Biden pointed out in his remarks, building fiber optic networks is also creating thousands of good-paying jobs across the nation. FBA feels it is critically important that each state and territory prioritize workforce development and has released a Workforce Development Guidebook to assist in the creation and implementation of comprehensive workforce development programs in support of the NTIA BEAD program.

-Gary Bolton, President and CEO, Fiber Broadband Association