Recent federal funding changes have paused some programs or grants but the Oklahoma Broadband Office appears to be in good shape.
Last year, the office awarded more than 180 projects amounting to over $500 million in grants for broadband infrastructure projects across the state. Broadband officials are gearing up for more projects this year.
Mike Sanders, executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office, said the contracts are signed for the monies delivered last year from the American Rescue Plan Act through the State and Local Recovery Funds and the Capital Projects Funds, and won’t be touched.
Another expected $750 million dollar pot of money for infrastructure projects through the Broadband, Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program he said is also expected to come through still. Sanders said it has been an interesting month, but new administrations have the opportunities to look at spending.
“I'm looking forward to getting our BEAD program, which we are still ongoing as we speak, we're still going through that process as if nothing has changed, and we're going to keep our head down, continue to block and tackle and to make sure we deliver for Oklahoma,” Sanders said.
Sanders said there could be tweaks, such as the type of technology used, changes to labor laws or the permitting process. He said the office’s preference is fiber optic technology because of its reliability and lifespan, but satellite broadband could become more of a factor.
Although he said nothing is certain, conversations with federal partners have been about efficiency such as the rules of the initial program, not cutting funding. Sanders said there is a large bipartisan support behind it and also feels good about funding after listening to new Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick’s confirmation hearing.
“The amount of money, the amount of time that has been implemented over the last two to three years, it would absolutely be silly to throw the baby out with the bath water. It would make absolutely no sense,” Sanders said.
Sanders said he is proud of the broadband office’s relationships with tribal and federal entities to serve the state. Sanders said he and his colleagues across the country will speak with their states’ congressional delegations and the Trump administration about how to improve efficiency and the importance of the program.
“There are things that can be done to make it more efficient to expedite many of these issues and get these projects built,” Sanders said. “But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to deliver high speed internet to areas of the country, and especially areas of our state that have been left behind way too long.”
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
