The Trump administration is delaying its planned guidance on how states can spend $21 billion in savings in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the latest slowdown in the initiative designed to help underserved communities gain high-speed internet access.

A senior official with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) said the agency expects announce new funding opportunities under its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) broke the law when it overstepped Congress in implementing changes to a key national broadband program last summer, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found.

This week, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved final proposals from 18 states and territories to deliver universal broadband access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

U.S. states and territories have until Sept. 4 to complete the next step in applying for Federal government broadband funding under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

The U.S. Commerce Department on Friday unveiled its revamps to the government’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, touting a new “tech-neutral” approach and tossing its previous fiber-centric efforts to the curb.

A group of 12 senators led by Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is calling on the Trump administration to release funding for states under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

While the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Maps spotlight underserved areas across the nation as Congress continues to funnel billions into improving internet connectivity – millions of Americans still aren’t seeing benefits of that funding due in part to the need for better mapping data and greater coordination across Federal agencies.   

Arielle Roth, the Trump administration’s pick to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), pledged to implement Biden-era bipartisan broadband expansion plans while vowing not to favor White House advisor Elon Musk’s Starlink as part of that process.

With the help of Federal funding, Kansas is looking to invest $8.2 million in grants to help close the digital divide in the state.