BEAD Program

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AT&T CEO Underlines the Need for an Effective Implementation of BEAD
Posted on July 5, 2024 6:00am by Ian Doescher

John Stankey, CEO of AT&T, named the effective implementation of BEAD Program funding—in service of closing the digital divide—as the most critical issue facing the telecommunications industry, in a speech at the US Telecom Leadership Summit last week.

At the Summit, held June 23-25 in Park City, Utah, Stankey named “the three most important issues before us today.” The first two issues both relate to bringing connectivity to all Americans: (1) “sound implementation of the historic opportunity to expand broadband,” and (2) replacing the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) with new subsidies for low-income households.

Calling closing the digital divide “today’s broadband universal service challenge,” Stankey praised congress for creating the BEAD Program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Unfortunately,” said Stankey, “what was bipartisan compromise at the federal level has, in many cases, turned into ideologically driven state policies that could undercut the program’s effectiveness and legislative intent.”

AT&T BEAD Recommendations

To close the digital divide, Stankey said, additional policies should be created to ensure that all BEAD Program funds (“every dollar of taxpayer money”) are used to expand access to broadband as quickly as possible.

Naming affordability as another obstacle to connectivity, Stankey praised programs like the ACP. But he criticized the present arrangement, in which four Universal Service Funds (USF) are managed by different departments. “No one sees the bigger picture and the broader outcomes we are trying to achieve.”

To overcome affordability issues, Stankey suggested that Congress should create new subsidy programs. He argued that big tech companies—like Apple, Google, and Meta—should be among the companies responsible for subsidies, since those companies offer voice-equivalent services like texting, email, and VoIP.

With his emphasis on access and affordability, Stankey’s comments align with AT&T’s ongoing corporate commitment to connectivity, as demonstrated by their previous investments in expanding broadband networks.

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19 replies (most recent on top)

Once a monopoly always a monopoly!

“we don’t want any government handouts for ourselves or our taxes taken to give others what we have to pay for”

Yep, until you need it. Seen this story over and over again. You don’t have the intellectual honesty to admit it or maybe you truly believe you’ll never need it.

Of course getting a job and being self sufficient is the best approach for a healthy economy and workforce but there are many legit scenarios where that doesn’t work out. We’ve been a social democracy for years collectively helping those in our communities with safety nets when needed and our government is just a collection of people coming together to enable this. And if you don’t believe a discussion on safety nets or subsidies belongs on a layoff site, even if you don’t support them, then you’re kidding yourself.

Bead it Stinky Stank!!!!....looking for government handouts because you and your leadership team can't run a business....

To poster: : @1eti+1tmrGMY3
This is mostly a group of hard workers getting canned… we don’t want any government handouts for ourselves or our taxes taken to give others what we have to pay for. And you’re wrong..if it were someone in our family we’d tell them to get a job and pay for it like we do. Save your socialist views for a political site.

This is about employees getting burned by T and pretty upset that our CEO’s best strategy is to cry to Uncle Sam for help.

Let him dig in his and Randy’s pocket from all the money they got and didn’t earn if they really want these people to get it for free.

The thing is… Stank doesn’t care about broadband equity for all…he just wants it to keep his ridiculously overpaid salary.

For the eminently reasonable, hope you don’t need some help sometime.

"Come to the table with something half serious and reasonable."

Pay for your own damn internet or don't have kids. I don't care which.

I consider that eminently reasonable. No one but me paid for my kids to have it.

Oh you’re so clever with your lame sound bite. It’s only bad until you need it.

Remember the doozy “keep your government hands off my Medicare”.

Virtue signaling meets corporate welfare.

I’m not at all a Stankey fan but posts like “the little old lady” comment loses all credibility of any position. Come to the table with something half serious and reasonable.

Stankey wants the government to pay so some little old lady who can't even text much less stream anything can have a GB fiber connection.

It's not just corporate welfare. He's trying to emulate Medicare fraudsters. Or he will.

Cliffnotes for Stankey’s track of success:

Layoff your workforce of thinkers
Panhandle the government

Should just AT&T have that American worker policy or the rest of the Fortune 1000 too?

Until AT&T stops offshoring workers, they shouldn't get any government contracts.

AT&T should not be the entity fully subsidizing broadband for low income family needs from our profits. That’s what all you complainers want so we should agree there. If anyone subsidizes this, it should be the government.

And, for all you complainers that don’t want the government to subsidize this, take a real hard look at the benefits you get from other government programs or will eventually get (you’d be surprised).

As for broadband subsidies (and other government help programs), I’ve got not doubts that you’d be the first to b1tch & moan for it if you, your parents, your grandparents, your children, your best friend, your community hit hard times and needed the help.

Apple google and meta aren’t gonna bay to build a revenue stream for AT&T. Think of a real idea to make more profits. We’re turning down this money in many states.

Stankey thinks the easiest path to growth for at&t is to pick the pockets of the people who already pay to use our network or to get more money from the government.

I guess this is what they're teaching in galaxy brain MBA school these days.

Everyone is under the assumption that since MA Bell was regulated and subsidized many decades ago on Pots that it should be forever. Guess what they aren’t regulated on Broadband and there is competition now since, the breakup in 1983. Free market rules apply and companies like (AT&T) aren’t in business to operate at a loss. The govt. universal fund subsidies are for low-income and remote/low populated areas so, companies will continue to build and service them, without a loss.

Somebody has to pay for it. This ain't Communism.

In other words, AT&T needs additional government subsidies disquised as benefits programs to survive in a competitive market.

Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

BEAD Program

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