The latest stakeholder to send a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is Sky Fiber Internet, the largest Nevada BEAD awardee in the rural broadband funding program. In the letter, the company urged Lutnick to expedite contract finalization and issue guidance so construction can begin.
Commerce put the BEAD program on hold, pending a review and potential rule changes.
Sky Fiber already invested $360,000 in the project, for which it won about $180 million. Engineering is in process and the network has been designed, the company said.
“Delays not only risk higher costs and lost labor but also erode public confidence in what is arguably the most ambitious and promising broadband investment in our nation’s history,” said Sky Fiber Internet CEO Garry Gomes in the letter.
The program is at a standstill, however. The letter calls on Lutnick to take four steps:
- Expedite contract finalization and issue guidance so construction can begin.
- Streamline federal permitting and environmental review, especially for areas already cleared by state processes or along public rights-of-way.
- Support Nevada’s all-inclusive model, which allows for technology-appropriate solutions
- Empower ready, local partners with rural deployment experience and deep local trust
Nevada is set to receive $417 million in BEAD funding. Gomes told Lutnick that the state’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT) developed a plan that includes fiber, hybrid models, licensed fixed wireless and low-orbit satellite. This, he wrote, will ensure ubiquitous statewide coverage.
“Let’s work together to deliver on the promise of BEAD – with urgency, collaboration and success,” Gomes said.
Gomes’ letter comes as the Commerce Department mulls the future of the project.
Yesterday, Telecompetitor reported on another letter to Lutnick. This one was from Sen. Shelley Capito (R-WV) to get the program back on track. She sent a letter to Lutnick this week which praised him for eliminating red tape in the program and urged the department to opt for an approach that would adjust the rules but essentially let the application process stand.
A group of Missouri stakeholders, a bipartisan group of state legislators, and others have also asked Lutnick not to delay BEAD.
Additional information about broadband in Nevada, including links to state funding resources and grants, awards made, state-specific Telecompetitor coverage, and more can be found on the Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
