Patrick Haggerty, state broadband director, testifies before the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — Changes to Nebraska’s federally funded broadband expansion plans that Gov. Jim Pillen celebrated as a victory faced questions and criticism from state lawmakers and others concerned it will hinder internet quality.

The Nebraska Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard an update Thursday from the Nebraska Broadband Office on the status of broadband expansion in Nebraska.

The update came a day after Pillen announced that just $44.5 million of the $405 million Nebraska was awarded through the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program would be used to

See Full Page