NTIA: Reinstate BEAD Fiber Preference and Labor Standards
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The federal BEAD program promised $42 billion in public funding to build out broadband across the country - with $1.6 billion in Federal and State money coming to New York to connect unserved and underserved communities to the internet. CWA members worked hard to make sure projects that will build reliable, durable fiber connections and create good, union jobs were at the top of the list.
But recently, the federal National Telecommunication Infrastructure Administration has completely rigged the rules removing the fiber preference, labor standards and requiring States to just go with the lowest-cost bidder.
New York’s preliminary awardees were just announced – 25% of the work in NYS is going to Elon Musk’s Starlink. Funding that should have been awarded to fiber buildout and good jobs is instead being used to line the pockets of the richest man in the world - Elon Musk.
Sign our petition to ask the NTIA to reinstate the fiber preference and labor standards for high-quality broadband and good jobs.
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To:
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
From:
[Your Name]
The federal BEAD program promised to connect unserved and underserved communities with reliable, durable fiber connections while creating good jobs. The NTIA’s new requirement that states award bids almost solely on cost will leave households and businesses with second-class service and take good jobs away from our communities.
Every household and business in our state should have access to reliable, future-proof fiber broadband service. As experts in our field, we are calling on you to reinstate the fiber preference requirement and labor standards to ensure tax payer dollars fund quality service and good jobs.
New Yorkers are depending on this funding to finally have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.