Hello,
Brothers and Sisters!
Hopefully by now you have heard of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or more commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This Act includes an unprecedented investment of $65 billion to help close the digital divide and ensure that all Americans have access to reliable, high speed, and affordable broadband. The largest grant program of this Act is the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) which appropriates $42.45 billion for states and territories to utilize for broadband deployment, mapping, and adoption projects. While the amount of BEAD funding each state/territory receives will vary, Missouri is to receive $1.7 billion. The funding is being distributed based on a formula that considers the number of unserved locations (those below 25/3Mbps), followed by underserved locations (those below 100/20Mbps), and then serving community anchor institutions (1/1 Gbps).
Unfortunately, so many of us are using slow, unreliable, or overpriced internet. Others only have access to satellite internet. All of which are frustrating, but the BEAD program has the potential to forever change it all. And the good part…it has I.B.E.W. written all over it! The BEAD Program includes labor standards that truly encourage using Unions. It requires coordination with Unions and prioritizes developers who comply with federal labor law. All of which should mean more work for I.B.E.W. members because this is work we perform every day!
With that being said, we need your help. We need each member to view the provided website. Once the site opens, type in your home mailing address. Verify that information is accurate. If it says you are served and funded and you believe that to be correct, you’re done. If it says underserved or unserved and you believe that to be correct, you’re done. If any of the information you see is incorrect, please let us, or any other permissible challenger know (permissible challengers are – units of local government, non-profit organizations, and internet service providers). If the information they have isn’t accurate then the funding dollars won’t go where they are needed the most. The challenge process is only open for a limited amount of time, so notifying a permissible challenger of any inaccuracies in a timely manner will ensure there is time to submit a challenge on your behalf. As a non-profit organization registered as a permissible challenger in Missouri, I.B.E.W. Local Union 702 is asking for any inaccuracies to be reported to Business Representative Brad Beisner or your Business Representative no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday April 19, 2024.
You’re welcome to share this with anyone who resides in Missouri. The more Missourians that verify their information is accurate will ensure that this money is spent in the right places.
Thank you in advance for your time, effort, and dedication to ensuring the map is accurate so that Missouri residents can have the best internet possible, and I.B.E.W. members can bring it to them.
In Solidarity,
Brad Beisner
Business Representative
I.B.E.W. Local Union 702
Cell: (618) 553-0422