Federal Broadband Funding Falls Short of True Rural Connectivity in Vermont

Vermont is set to receive approximately $93 million in federal funds aimed at expanding broadband access to its most remote areas, a move officials say will extend high-speed internet to over 99% of residents. On the surface, this appears to be a win for connectivity. However, a deeper look exposes the inefficiencies and misguided federal mandates undermining true rural broadband progress. Is Federal Bureaucracy Undermining American Rural Progress? While the infusion of cash sounds promising, it stems from a convoluted federal program—the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) initiative—mired in shifting requirements imposed last summer under the Trump administration and...