After This Failed Program, Does Anything *Work* in Joe Biden’s America?

Three years ago, Biden rolled out the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD), allocating $42.5 billion to bring high-speed internet access to rural America. And not a single home has been connected to the network. It’s a hodgepodge of government bureaucracy, red tape, and other aspects of Washington that perfectly illustrates why this is a classic tale of government action (via Washington Times):

Government in a sentence. https://t.co/NKwBUFspTt

— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) June 19, 2024

Residents in rural America are eager to access high-speed internet under a $42.5 billion federal modernization program, but not a single home or business has been connected to new broadband networks nearly three years after President Biden signed the funding into law, and no project will break ground until sometime next year. 

Lawmakers and internet companies blame the slow rollout on burdensome requirements for obtaining the funds, including climate change mandates, preferences for hiring union workers and the requirement that eligible companies prioritize the employment of “justice-impacted” people with criminal records to install broadband equipment. 

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