Dear friends and partners,
Thank you again to everyone who participated in our Needs Assessment survey! Your answers will help us shape the strategic direction, sustainability, and impact of BRBA going forward.
Join us for our meeting on March 17 where we’ll be discussing telehealth—one of the priorities that emerged from the Needs Assessment. I hope to see you there.
Warm regards,
Sara Nichols
Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance
In This Edition
Upcoming Meetings
Drew’s Policy Corner
Organizations Make Their Voices Heard on BEAD Non-Deployment Funds
Big Stories
See Also
Upcoming Meetings
Our new meeting time is the third Thursday of the month at 1 PM! This is a new meeting series, so please re-register here.
- March: Our March meeting will be March 17 at 1 PM.
- April: Stay tuned for more information on our April meeting.
Drew’s Policy Corner
Happy March!
A bit of a non-update on non-deployment. On March 6, NTIA announced that it was delaying guidance for BEAD non-deployment funding ($1.2 billion for North Carolina), meaning we still don’t know 1) how funds can be used and 2) which states are ineligible for funds because they have “onerous” restrictions on AI. NTIA says its still digesting feedback from the listening sessions, so thank you to everyone who participated and/or supported BRBA’s comments (more on that below). That said, we can’t help but notice NTIA’s omission of any reference to broadband adoption and affordability (despite it being the most common theme in the listening sessions), so we’ll continue to keep the pressure on.
In non-BEAD news, the FCC may soon take steps to make Lifeline less accessible to low-income households. Lifeline is a federal program that is like the ACP but smaller ($9.25/mo instead of $30/mo) and less available (fewer ISPs participate, eligibility is narrower). While the FCC’s reforms are intended to reduce fraud, the impact would likely deny the benefit to many eligible households. If you have experience with the Lifeline program and are interested in sharing your perspective, please reach out.
We’ll keep you updated on all of this as it moves forward!
Organizations Make Their Voices Heard on BEAD Non-Deployment Funds
Last month, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) hosted two public listening sessions to hear from stakeholders about potential uses for the more than $20 billion in non-deployment Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding. NTIA also accepted written comments.
Non-Deployment Background
Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which created the BEAD Program, states and territories may use BEAD funds to make subgrants to:
- Deploy broadband networks to unserved and underserved areas,
- Connect community anchor institutions,
- Conduct data collection, broadband mapping, and planning;
- Install internet and Wi-Fi infrastructure or provide reduced-cost broadband within multifamily residential buildings; and
- Increase broadband adoption, including programs to provide affordable internet-capable devices.
Congress also authorized the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to determine additional uses of these funds to facilitate BEAD’s goals. The two listening sessions were meant to inform the Assistant Secretary’s determination on additional uses.
What Was Said?
Between the two listening sessions, roughly 85 people shared their non-deployment ideas. Broadband adoption (including affordable broadband, low-cost devices, and digital skills training) was the most frequently mentioned use across both meetings.
There were a few recurring themes throughout the two sessions. The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society estimated the top topics to be:
- Broadband Adoption: Affordability, Device Access, and Digital Literacy (43 mentions)
- Workforce Development (22 mentions)
- Broadband Affordability & Regional/Local Flexibility (13 mentions each)
- Permitting Reform & Middle Mile/AI Infrastructure (12 mentions each)
- Public Safety and Emergency Response (9 mentions)
What Did We Say?
The Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance delivered written and oral comments to NTIA.
Our written comments called for robust investments in broadband adoption and affordability, infrastructure gap-filling where necessary, emergency communications resilience, and workforce development. We said,
“Congress expressly authorized states to promote broadband adoption, defined as the process by which an individual obtains high-quality internet service, digital skills, personal devices, and secure and convenient networks. Non-deployment funding is critical to support digital navigators, digital literacy programs, device distribution, outreach, and program administration. These investments are critical to ensure that newly deployed networks are fully utilized.
In Western North Carolina, internet adoption still lags behind the national average by six percentage points. Without targeted adoption and affordability investments, new infrastructure alone will not close this gap.”
Sara Nichols’ comments in the listening session echoed those calls. She said, in part,
“We believe BEAD’s success depends on adoption, affordability, resilience, devices, workforce, and infrastructure that works for our region. We respectfully urge NTIA to implement the statute as written and give states the flexibility needed to close the digital divide in full.”
What Comes Next?
NTIA initially planned to provide guidance on the use of non-deployment funds on March 11, but on March 6, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Arielle Roth announced that guidance would be delayed, saying,
“While our guidance was expected by next week, we are taking additional time to review the comments and finalize our approach to ensure these funds are spent as efficiently and responsibly as possible. American taxpayers work hard for their money and deserve nothing less from this Administration.”
While we await further guidance, you can find our full written comment on our website, and read more analysis of the listening sessions (including more of Sara’s comments!) here and here.
By Zoë Walker
Big Stories
AT&T Community Investment Boosts Digital Literacy in Western North Carolina | EIN Presswire
Sara Nichols is a longtime rural advocate who has helped Western North Carolinians access broadband for most of the past decade. In 2023, she testified before the House Subcommittee on Communication and Technology on the future of rural broadband funding. In 2025, she was named the Tech Difference Maker of the Year by the NC Tech Association and also served as a 2025 Rural Summit broadband funding panelist. Hurricane Helene’s massive power outages solidified how the energy and economic development sides of her work connect since there’s no communications technology without power. The storm also allowed her to work with solar since the sun continues to shine when the power’s out. The deployment of solar-powered microgrids with Starlink satellite units means that not only means are some rural areas better served, but that they’re also prepared for future adverse weather events. Last summer, to further give Western North Carolina a collective voice on regional broadband issues, Sara helped create the Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance, a regional coalition already with 100+ members, including the Rural Center. All of this work is focused on closing the digital divide so that more western North Carolinians have the same access to the same technology and resources as many other areas of the state.
FCC Proposes Accountability Reforms to Lifeline Program | Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission adopted a proposal to reform the agency’s federal Lifeline program, which accounts for nearly $1 billion in spending every year. Through the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC seeks comment on program reforms that are designed to ensure that the Lifeline program is efficient, transparent, and accountable—while continuing to support Americans who rely on it. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes program reforms to ensure the program helps the people it is intended to benefit. Consistent with the goal of ensuring taxpayer-funded benefits are provided only to eligible recipients, the FCC will seek comment on several steps to safeguard the Lifeline program including:
- Proposing that Lifeline program support is a “federal public benefit” and is therefore available only to U.S. citizens and persons with appropriate qualified status under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996;
- Ensuring that Lifeline support is used to benefit only legal, living, and eligible Americans consistent with section 254 of the Act, through enhanced requirements that ensure program participants are truly eligible for Lifeline discounts;
- Improving program integrity and efficiency, including reforms applicable to the states that have been permitted to opt out of the program integrity verifications conducted by the Universal Service Administrative Company and instead perform their own verifications;
- Promoting more principled service provider conduct and ensuring that service providers that participate in the Lifeline program comply with all rules; and
- Streamlining Lifeline program rules and minimizing stakeholder confusion.
See Also
Helping to keep kids in class: Telehealth in Guilford County Schools | Oak Foundation