President Joe Biden’s administration has partially waived a requirement to buy American-made materials for its rural broadband internet program, allowing for the purchase of certain components manufactured outside the U.S., according a waiver the Commerce Department finalized on Friday. Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act makes it a requirement to use materials manufactured in the United States, according to its text. However, the Biden administration is waiving the mandate to purchase non-optic-glass inputs and electronics manufactured in the United States to meet the requirements of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, according to the waiver. Nearly 90%...
