NARUC Presses FCC to Add State, Local Members to BDAC to Balance Broadband Voices

tribal government, said an association letter Monday in docket 17-83. It said one NARUC and six local government representatives are among the 58 BDAC working group members. "It is self-evident, that any recommendations will necessarily reflect the composition of the committee. A simple review of the current roster suggests the committee is heavily weighted in favor of those seeking attachments to poles. The concept for this committee was a good one, but the usefulness of any recommendations is likely to be undermined by this imbalance," said the filing. It also said BDAC had only two members from power companies, which are also regulated by state regulators. NARUC noted it passed a resolution in July urging the FCC to add state and local government members to BDAC and its working group "to an amount that equitably balances" the broadband industry membership (see 1707200014). An FCC spokesman said: “BDAC members were chosen from a diverse set of stakeholders, with the goal of forging consensus on how to eliminate unnecessary barriers to deployment of high-speed Internet. We sought representation from state, local, and Tribal government, rural and urban Internet service providers, independent network builders, pole and conduit owners, trade associations, and non-profit organizations. We believe the makeup of the BDAC reflects the diversity we sought. Our broader goal is one everyone can agree on: accelerating access to robust, affordable, high-speed Internet for all Americans.” He also noted BDAC's vice chair is a state official: Kelleigh Cole, director, Utah Broadband Outreach Center, Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. BDAC members said Friday initial recommendations are targeted for Nov. 9 (see 1708180043).