WISPA Ready for “Speed for BEAD Act”

The following statement may be attributed to Matt Mandel, VP of Government Affairs, WISPA – The Association for Broadband Without Boundaries:

Washington, DC, March 6, 2025 – The “Speed for BEAD Act,” introduced by Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC), restores the IIJA to the vision Congress passed over three years ago.  It reaffirms the IIJA’s core principle of technology neutrality, refocuses efforts on delivering broadband to all Americans, and ensures that funding reaches truly unserved communities.

For the past three years, WISPA and its members have urged policymakers to ensure that BEAD remained true to its intent of providing the right tools for each location, avoid wasteful overbuilding in areas already served by reliable broadband, and meaningfully provide small ISPs the opportunity to compete for BEAD grants if they so desired to help bridge the digital divide.  The “Speed for BEAD Act” will do just that.  WISPA believes this legislation will move BEAD in the right direction, judiciously spending our limited taxpayer dollars to quickly and cost-effectively connect every American.

WISPA – Broadband Without Boundaries
WISPA’s approximately 1000 members provide fixed broadband connectivity and include equipment suppliers, support services, and other industry partners and stakeholders. Our members provide broadband access to millions of residential and business customers in rural, urban, and Tribal areas across America.

 

Contact
Mike Wendy
WISPA
202-763-5257
mwendy@wispa.org