NTIA’s “Internet for All” Launch Sparks Swift Reaction, Pro and Con

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee are concerned over comments that Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo made about the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week.   Raimondo went to Durham, NC, on Friday to launch the Administration’s Internet for All initiative. It will invest $45 billion with the goal of providing affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for everyone in the U.S. by the end of the decade. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will administer and implement the program. She said governors can send their letters of intent to receive the broadband money. Each state gets $5 million to help officials consult with residents and write its plan. Continue Reading