Members Only Exclusive: BEAD Is Delayed and the Fiber Broadband Association Isn’t Happy

Earlier this week the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) sent a notice to state broadband offices granting a 90-day extension to submit their final proposals for funds from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

The notice (which we found through a link from telecompetitor.com) reminds broadband offices the Department of Commerce “is currently undertaking a detailed review of the BEAD program to remove unnecessary rules and mandates, to improve efficiency, to take a more technology-neutral approach, cut necessary red tape, and streamline deployment.” The delay is intended to give states “necessary time to implement … these forthcoming programmatic changes.”

BEAD’s notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) requires states to submit a final proposal no more than 12 months after their initial proposal is approved. This 90-day waiver or extension lengthens the deadline to 455 days after approval of the initial proposal.

CNET’s Joe Supan, in his coverage of the 90-day delay, quotes Drew Garner, director of policy at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, as suspecting the administration’s intention is to shift billions of dollars in BEAD money to Starlink and away from fiber-optic technologies.

The Fiber Broadband Association’s president and chief executive officer Gary Bolton issued a statement about the delay. Bolton said, “The Fiber Broadband Association supports the Trump administration’s efforts to accelerate the BEAD program by making it more effective and efficient. But this new 90-day delay—which jeopardizes deployment plans the states have spent years tailoring to individual communities—undermines that goal. Furthermore, NTIA hasn’t provided the necessary guidance on what changes are expected. Delaying a program that’s ready to deliver high-speed, reliable broadband slows progress for the communities BEAD was designed to help and has a chilling effect on additional private and public investments. The sooner BEAD funds are deployed, the sooner we can build the futureproof infrastructure American communities deserve.”

We will continue to follow BEAD developments and report updates to you.