The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has issued a Request for Comment, which seeks comment on a limited, general applicability, nonavailability waiver of the Build America Buy America requirements, for NTIA’s Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, which establish a domestic content procurement preference for all federal financially assistance obligated for infrastructure projects. NTIA determined that the availability of this waiver is necessary given that there are several items needed for BEAD program deployment projects that are not produced sufficiently and in reasonably available quantities in the U.S.
This waiver is only available for certain specified items, products, materials, and categories of equipment such as non-optic-glass inputs, semiconductor chips, and enclosures. The Department of Commerce will review this waiver annually to assess if it remains necessary. Comments on the proposed waiver are due September 21, 2023.
