Congress Should Reform but Not Kill BEAD: Hudson
Deregulation of the telecom industry “is key” to making the industry more competitive and reducing the price of service, House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., told a Free State Foundation conference Tuesday. Hudson said his goals are to also “modernize and streamline rules so that the telecom industry in America can thrive.” BEAD and other federal programs were supposed to help close the digital divide, “but they’re being slow-rolled over onerous requirements and regulations.”
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Hudson said that while some urge Congress to kill the BEAD program, he disagrees. “Our rural communities need to be fully connected.” He also warned against state regulation. Many states want to establish price controls and rates for service, but that could “undermine any successful efforts at the federal level,” he said. “When states overregulate, like some are doing now, it drives companies away.”
Hudson also called for an update to media ownership rules. Existing rules don’t “reflect today’s competitive media landscape” and “need major reform,” he said. While the FCC has made some changes, the fundamental ownership rules are the same as during the 1990s, he said. “It has hurt broadcasters’ ability to innovate and invest in local content.”