Broadband

👀 I’m Just a Bill — BEAD Broadband Expansion A Liana Banyan “I’m Just a Bill” Bounty Poster What is this bill? Modifications to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program in the 119th Congress, addressing implementation challenges in the original 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act broadband-deployment provisions. What does it actually do? Modifies state allocation formula for the $42.45B BEAD program. Permitting: Streamlines federal-permit timelines for broadband infrastructure. Deployment standards: Updates definition of “underserved” and “unserved” areas. Affordability: Modifications to the Affordable Connectivity Program successor. Technology neutrality: Provisions for fiber + fixed-wireless + satellite eligibility balance. Who votes when? House Energy & Commerce + Senate Commerce active consideration. How does this affect cooperative-class families? Rural broadband is the structural floor for cooperative-class participation in nearly every Initiative. Members in BEAD-served areas can access #9 Rally Group organizing infrastructure, #12 + #14 cooperative education, #15 “I’m Just a Bill” civic information, and #3 Lets Go Shopping marketplace participation that they cannot reach without broadband. ...

👀 I’m Just a Bill — Federal Broadband Affordability Successor A Liana Banyan “I’m Just a Bill” Bounty Poster What is this bill? Successor legislation for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provided $30/month broadband subsidies to ~23 million low-income households before exhausting its funding in 2024. The 119th Congress is debating successor structures. What does it actually do? Subsidy continuation — restores monthly broadband subsidy for low-income households Eligibility framework — modifies income thresholds and enrollment process Funding mechanism — addresses long-term funding (general fund vs. Universal Service Fund vs. other) Tribal Connectivity Program — separate provisions for Tribal broadband affordability Rural broadband composing — composes with BEAD deployment provisions (BEAD Broadband Expansion) Who votes when? House Energy and Commerce + Senate Commerce active consideration How does this affect cooperative-class families? Broadband access is structural infrastructure for cooperative-class member participation. Without affordable broadband, members cannot reach #9 Rally Group organizing, #12 + #14 cooperative education, #15 “I’m Just a Bill” civic information, or #3 Lets Go Shopping marketplace. ACP successor is the federal floor for that participation. ...

👀 I’m Just a Bill — Rural Electric Cooperative Broadband Authority A Liana Banyan “I’m Just a Bill” Bounty Poster What is this bill? Federal authorization in the 119th Congress for rural electric cooperatives to expand into broadband service delivery, leveraging existing fiber-and-pole infrastructure. What does it actually do? USDA Rural Utilities Service loan eligibility for cooperative broadband BEAD program coordination provisions Cooperative-cross-subsidy clarity Federal-pole-attachment authority for cooperative broadband providers How does this affect cooperative-class families? Composes with BEAD Broadband Expansion + Universal Broadband Floor + Federal Broadband Affordability Bounty Posters. Direct kin-cooperative federation potential — rural electric cooperatives expanding into broadband are natural cooperative-class peers. ...