SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - On Oct. 4, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved California’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Initial Proposal Volume 2. This approval enables California to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program.

“In an increasingly interconnected world, closing the digital divide is an economic imperative. From finding a job to growing a business to submitting a homework assignment – everyday necessities require a reliable connection,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Born out of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the BEAD program represents a generational investment to connect every American to affordable, high-quality broadband. Today’s announcement is a critical milestone on our road to realizing that vision and allowing us to begin selecting the broadband projects that will receive funding.”

“We know the stakes couldn’t be higher for those still lacking access,” Matsui continued.  “Almost two-thirds of Californians without home broadband say cost is a key reason. In my district, I hear about the need for broadband affordability whether I’m in downtown Sacramento or in our farming communities down in the Delta. That’s why we have done the important work to identify and acknowledge our most overlooked and unserved Californians. Now we must continue to push hard to deploy these funds and get our neighbors connected.”

Congresswoman Matsui has led national efforts to close the digital divide and ensure access to affordable broadband. Earlier this year, Matsui and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. wrote to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration supporting its efforts to prioritize affordability in the BEAD Program as it reviews state plans.

She and her colleagues previously wrote a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in March 2022 as the agency prepared to implement the broadband programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, stressing the importance of affordability and empowering the agency to ensure as many people as possible benefit from the program.

Background

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states. In California, the BEAD program is being implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). California was allocated over $1.8 billion to deploy or upgrade high-speed internet networks and close the digital divide.

States were required to submit an Initial Proposal for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s approval – detailing how they plan to spend their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment allocation to deliver high-speed internet access to all unserved and underserved locations within their borders. All states submitted their Initial Proposals by Dec. 27, 2023. One year from Initial Proposal approval, states must submit a Final Proposal that details, among other things, the outcome of the subgrantee selection process and how the state will ensure universal coverage.

For a more detailed breakdown of the entire Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment process in California, visit https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/internet-and-phone/broadband-implementation-for-california/bead-program.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui has represented the city of Sacramento and its surrounding areas since 2005. She currently serves California’s Seventh Congressional District, nestled between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, which is centered in Sacramento, and includes the communities of Elk Grove, Galt, West Sacramento, Wilton, Rancho Murieta, Vineyard, Isleton, Walnut Grove, Herald, Clay and the California Delta