New Bill Has a PLAN to Improve Broadband Availability

A bill that would require the creation and implementation of a national broadband strategy—spanning 133 often overlapping funding programs managed by 15 agencies could streamline processes and paperwork for all.

Politicians hope the Proper Leadership to Align Networks (PLAN) for Broadband Act, if implemented, will help enterprises, states, overlooked rural areas, and small businesses looking to expand their business opportunities in a burgeoning broadband economy.

In general, consolidating a series of related items into a national strategy would sound like a wise move that could result in streamlined processes, time savings, and cost reductions.

The bipartisan PLAN ACT would require the Biden administration to develop a national strategy to close the digital divide and a plan to implement that strategy. The 133 funding attempts are the products of entities attempting for years to close the digital divide by providing Internet for all. The best-known and largest is the Biden Administration's $42 billion Broadband Access Equity and Diversity (BEAD) undertaking.

A National Strategy (and PLAN) to Close the Digital Divide

The bill mandates the National Telecommunications Information Agency (NTIA) run with the ball. Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the heads of the covered agencies, must develop and submit a plan to the appropriate committees of Congress, a National Strategy to Close the Digital Divide, according to the bill.

It specifies the following must be included:

Forward-Thinking PLAN

“Bridging the digital divide is critical for families, farmers, and small businesses throughout Michigan. More than ever before, having access to reliable broadband service is integral to our economy, education, health care, and most aspects of our daily lives,” said U.S. Representative Tim Walberg, R-Mich., a backer of the bill, in 2022. “Developing a detailed roadmap that improves the efficiency and coordination of federal broadband programs is a commonsense step we can take to accelerate deployment to the rural communities that need it most.”

“Anything that streamlines the process and paperwork associated with all of the various funding programs sounds ideal,’” said Jeff Heynen, Vice-President, Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell’Oro Group, a global market research and intelligence firm. He and others see obstacles to passing and implementation of the bill.

Broadband PLAN Act's Promises and Challenges

PLAN faces tough going given the current polarized political parties and timing with respect to the Presidential election.

As it has proven in recent cycles, Congress is essentially the opposite of progress leading into the presidential election and the midterms that followed two years later. That limits the ability to get much legislation enacted. For example, the Broadband Plan Act began in 2022 but has taken a backseat to other priorities. "I don't think anything will be decided on this in 2024 because of the pending election," predicted Heynen. The PLAN Act for Broadband could be made law in 2025, depending on how the national election goes.

The GAO report claims there are 133 different broadband funding programs administered by 15 different agencies, which makes creating a single national broadband strategy a Herculean task for a growing sector, a potential bridge too far.

Since many of the timelines for these funding programs overlap and, like BEAD, are already well in progress, pulling them together under a single strategy could have the opposite of the intended effect.

"Most of these funding programs are well on their way—especially BEAD," said Heynen. He cited the widely agreed-upon definition of target minimum broadband speeds as 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. "Passage of this legislation, at this point, would only slow those efforts." He cited the widely agreed-upon definition of target minimum broadband speeds as 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.

Looking Ahead for the PLAN Act

The challenges faced by the PLAN Act underscore the importance of IT departments keeping an eye on emerging bills that could change the way they view broadband evolution, network expansion, and timing for expanding business operations.

While individual bills may never see the light of day, those hoping to create and streamline processes and develop overarching strategies are intended to drive efforts like the historic $42.5 billion BEAD undertaking bear tracking.