CWA Defends High-Speed Internet Program as House Republicans Propose Delays and Elon Musk Seeks to Divert Public Money for Private Profit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union stood up for efforts to bring affordable, high-speed internet to all Americans while creating quality jobs as members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a contentious debate over the future of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $42 billion program to build high-speed internet connections to all Americans.

With funding for the program, known as BEAD, ready to be deployed to the states, House Republicans today announced new legislation that could delay implementation. The Commerce Department announced they will be conducting a “rigorous review” of the BEAD program and is reported to be considering an overhaul of the program that could enable Elon Musk’s satellite company Starlink to profit from public money intended for high-quality rural broadband.

In a statement submitted to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing today, CWA Director of Research Nell Geiser defended the BEAD program and spoke to the urgent need to build the quality networks that communities are waiting for. “Residents in rural and unserved areas have waited long enough,” Geiser wrote. “Many states are ready to award the funds and build networks and should not be slowed down with revised standards, new mandates or requirements. If NTIA wants to offer additional flexibility, it can do so through waivers for particular states, and not delay states that are ready to move forward today.”

Fiber is the best performing technology of today and tomorrow. CWA members know from on-the-job training and experience that fiber-optic broadband is superior to other technologies. We can’t allow public dollars to go towards expensive and unreliable satellite companies where fiber is the responsible choice. 

A well-trained workforce and quality networks go hand-in-hand. We cannot expect to have the workforce needed to build and maintain our networks if we do not create good jobs that will attract and retain a well-trained workforce. The BEAD program recognizes this problem and gives states the flexibility to support labor standards and training.

States have put significant time and resources into BEAD and are now ready to make awards. There is broad bipartisan support against any pause or overhaul of the BEAD program. States are now on the cusp of getting shovels in the ground. Pressing pause on the program now would be a tremendous waste of resources.

CWA members are broadband technicians and support representatives at many of the nation's large and small broadband providers who hear from customers daily about the problems of limited bandwidth over outdated or inadequate technologies. Through their union, CWA members advocate in support of public investment and oversight to support universal access to high quality internet access for all Americans. CWA advocated for robust broadband deployment funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to definitively address the digital divide and find common ground across partisan divides.

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