Washington, D.C. – The Rural Wireless Association, Inc. (RWA) filed comments on Friday with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on its implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $48 billion broadband programs, specifically the $42.45 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.  RWA highlighted: (1) the value of deploying wireless networks with BEAD Program funds; (2) the need for flexibility to serve unpopulated areas, including the flexibility to connect precision agriculture and Internet of Things; (3) the lack of available workforce to build out broadband in rural America; and (4) the importance of robust backhaul for rural areas.

Although many anticipate that the use of BEAD Program funds will focus on fiber deployments, RWA believes that terrain, time, costs, and future-proofing are all strong reasons to support the deployment of fixed and mobile wireless network deployment, with fiber deployment limited to rural areas that are less costly to serve.

RWA looks forward to working with NTIA to develop the guidelines that the states will follow to implement the broadband deployment portions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.