Push for Fiber 'Way Overblown,' Says Tech Policy Institute's Wallsten

Fiber is “more expensive” than other technologies and “often not going to be the right answer,” said Technology Policy Institute President Scott Wallsten during a Georgetown University Center for Business and Public Policy webinar Wednesday. “The push for fiber is way overblown,” Wallsten said: “In many places, it is not justified.” Wallsten said more households will need to be served through federal broadband investments if policymakers set a higher definition of broadband. Prior subsidies haven't been done "efficiently," Wallsten said, noting the GAO “has been telling the FCC for years that they need to fix” its high-cost programs. Funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be given directly to the states under NTIA oversight, he said. "We don't know yet" what kind of difference the investments will make.