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States to DC: "No More BEAD Delays" [1]

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Date: 2025-04-03 06:00:01-05:00

Thursday, April 3, 2025 Digital Beat States to DC: "No More BEAD Delays" Over 140 Bipartisan State Legislators Send Letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has indicated he’ll make fundamental changes to the $42 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. These changes, such as giving a stronger preference for satellite internet, could force states to restart their broadband grant programs.

On April 3, a group of 115 bipartisan state legislators from 28 states sent Secretary Lutnick a letter requesting that any BEAD changes be optional rather than mandatory. Mandatory changes could upend the rules of state broadband programs, many of which are nearing completion, and delay deployment by a year or more. States, they argue, should have final say over state programs. Read the full letter below.

Update: As of May 19th, 2025, 148 bipartisan state legislators from 36 states have signed the letter. The authors are still accepting signatures. State legislators can add their names through this form or by emailing [email protected].





TO:

Secretary Howard Lutnick

U.S. Department of Commerce

1401 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20230 CC:

Adam Cassady, NTIA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Administrator

Arielle Roth, Nominee, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications & Information

Members of Congress

RE: BEAD and DE Implementation

Dear Secretary Lutnick,

Congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of Commerce. We look forward to working with you to bring fast, reliable, affordable broadband to every last one of our constituents.

We, the undersigned group of 148 bipartisan state legislators representing 36 states, respectfully request that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) allow state Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity (DE) programs to proceed without delay. If NTIA changes program conditions, we ask that those changes be optional rather than mandatory. We are concerned that mandatory changes will undermine state authority over state programs (a central feature of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), undo our BEAD and DE plans, and delay broadband deployment by a year or more.

After three years of preparation, we are just now beginning to implement our BEAD and DE programs. And, so far, it is going very well. For BEAD, initial grant rounds have resulted in nearly universal coverage, widespread competition, and substantial winnings for local and regional providers. For example, Louisiana has achieved 95% fiber coverage, 3% wireless/cable, and 2% satellite; Nevada achieved 83% fiber coverage, 7% wireless/cable, and 9% satellite; and Delaware achieved 100% fiber coverage. These are incredible results, and the flexibility to prioritize fiber while still incorporating wireless and satellite technologies will bring our constituents high-quality, affordable service at reasonable costs. For DE, our states are creating programs that address the full range of digital needs—skills for agriculture, healthcare, personal finance and entrepreneurship, online safety, cybersecurity, and efficient use of government programs. Together, BEAD and DE will ensure that all people reap the full benefit of connectivity.

As state legislators, we understand that no program is perfect. Indeed, we welcome some changes. However, we ask that you defer to our states about which changes we adopt. The federal approach to broadband programs—most recently exemplified by the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund—has created obstacles that we are only now overcoming. Let us not repeat mistakes of the past.

One in four rural residents do not have access to broadband. But they are about to. State BEAD and DE programs have been designed by and for state stakeholders, and they are poised to bring high-speed, reliable, affordable, and scalable broadband to virtually every last one of our constituents. Please respect the results of this process. At this late stage, major changes would undermine our work and delay deployment by years. The health, safety, education, and economic success of our communities depend on these programs. We ask that you tread cautiously when changing them.

Thank you,

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[1] Url: https://www.benton.org/blog/states-dc-no-more-bead-delays

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