Lutnick says BEAD funding will be released by end of year

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told members of Congress today that he will re-release Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Fund program guidelines and solicit new bids. The Commerce department will publish a “notice of funding opportunity,” allowing states and their potential project partners to apply for support from the $42.5B fund within 90 days, Lutnick told Senators in a hearing. The funding will be released by the end of the year and will be “done without regard to favoring one technology over the other,” he added. “Does it matter if it’s fixed wireless or fiber?” Lutnick asked at the hearing. “The answer should be, Whatever is the most efficient way to solve that, I want to do that.” He added, “And we will get the money out the door by the end of the year.” Companies in the broadband space include Calix (CALX), Juniper (JNPR), Ciena (CIEN), Harmonic (HLIT), Liberty Broadband (LBRDA) and Adtran (ADTN).