As work is underway to implement a number of landmark broadband deployment infrastructure initiatives, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield today sent letters to the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and the House and Senate Commerce Committees asking them to keep supply chain concerns top of mind in assuring the success of these efforts.
In particular, NTCA urged congressional leaders to prompt the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other key federal agencies to provide greater flexibility and clearer guidance with respect to Build America, Buy America requirements, to promote increased domestic production of critical communications supplies, to engage in a comprehensive evaluation of the state of supply chains especially as they affect smaller broadband providers, and to consider greater flexibility in broadband funding program requirements to the extent that supply chain concerns are not alleviated over the next several years.
“Many policymakers have rightly focused on supply chain security in recent years, but there is increasing concern as well about supply chain resiliency – and, without careful planning and thoughtful action now, this has the potential to undermine national objectives to connect as many Americans as possible in the coming years under these new programs,” wrote Bloomfield. “Starting in early 2021, NTCA members began to report significant and growing backlogs for critical communications equipment like routers, antennas, fiber, network terminals, and customer premises equipment—with delays in fulfillment ranging from several weeks to more than one year. The current state of the broadband and telecommunications supply chain could undermine the timeliness, reach, and overall effectiveness of key infrastructure funding initiatives.”
NTCA members have reported increasing delays stretching from months to over a year for some key supplies. In a survey late last year, 80% of NTCA members reported an inability or delay in procuring supplies needed for network deployment.
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.