Be All You Can BEAD
The United States is on the brink of its most significant investment in getting all Americans online via NTIA’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant program. But could technology become a cross upon which common sense and good judgment are crucified? A position paper written by noted wireless/Telehealth advocate, Craig Settles, and underwritten by WISPA – Be All You Can BEAD – questions the wisdom of limiting viable tools to bridge the digital divide.
The report vigorously disagrees with the NTIA’s position on unlicensed fixed wireless in its BEAD program. If the United States’ objective is to connect every home to the Internet, then every technology must be considered. All tools – such as unlicensed fixed wireless, fiber, etc. – must be on the table for local communities to choose from to meet their unique challenges.