NRECA is urging the Trump administration to help states swiftly implement the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program, including by removing “unnecessary and burdensome” requirements that the Biden administration placed on the program.
Although BEAD was established over three and a half years ago, “not a single household has been connected to high-speed internet through the program,” NRECA and four other national broadband associations said in a joint letter sent to President Donald Trump on May 27.
The letter is part of NRECA’s advocacy efforts around BEAD ahead of new program guidance that the Trump administration is expected to release soon. Co-ops will also promote swift BEAD funding deployment as part of the NRECA Broadband Leadership Summit taking place June 4-6 in Washington, D.C.
“To fulfill [BEAD’s] long overdue mission of connecting all Americans, we urge you to both eliminate the unnecessary and burdensome program requirements imposed by the Biden administration and enable the states to move forward quickly with implementation,” the groups said.
BEAD was created through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021 to expand rural broadband deployment, including by electric cooperatives. The program provides funding to states, which can then select providers to build and upgrade high-speed internet networks.
Over 200 electric co-ops are working to provide reliable, affordable high-speed broadband service in the communities they serve.
“Our members are the companies that have been the boots on the ground building, maintaining, and supplying the equipment for the broadband network infrastructure in rural America, and we cannot overstate the importance of getting the BEAD program on track,” the May 27 letter stated. “These rural communities have waited long enough for next-generation broadband that will unlock massive economic opportunities, and they cannot afford more program delays.”
Despite BEAD’s value, the Biden administration’s implementation of the program has disincentivized small, rural providers from participating, according to NRECA. And rural providers participating in the program have voiced concerns about substantial compliance costs.
In a February letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, NRECA outlined several ways that the current administration could ensure swift and effective implementation of BEAD.
It encouraged the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to maintain the current technology preference for fiber broadband. NRECA also asked for more flexibility on infrastructure permitting and wage and service plan provisions and to remove certain non-statutory requirements for disbursing BEAD funds.
“We recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving rural broadband challenges and that every technology will have an important role to play in BEAD,” the latest letter said. “At the same time, BEAD is a golden opportunity to drive as much fiber infrastructure as feasible into our country, which will help advance your Administration’s important connectivity, AI, and advanced manufacturing goals.”
Molly Christian is a staff writer for NRECA.