Last week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released new guidance for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This update ensures that requested funds will be released within this calendar year, provided state proposals are technologically neutral and utilize money efficiently. The guidance removes certain mandates from the Biden administration era, which were seen as hindrances to provider competition and delayed faster Internet delivery.
Senator Cruz expressed his views on the new guidance: “As I warned more than two years ago in my Red Light Report, the Biden administration’s technology bias and burdensome requirements would drive up costs and stall broadband buildout. Wasteful and irrelevant edicts on climate change and DEI hindered and, in many cases, outright prevented providers from serving Americans most in need. After four years of bureaucratic busywork, the Biden administration failed to connect a single American to the Internet."
He continued by commending Secretary Lutnick and the Trump administration for their efforts: "Kudos to Secretary Lutnick and the Trump administration for reversing course and refocusing BEAD on its core objective: connecting Americans to the Internet as expeditiously and efficiently as possible. This guidance prioritizes value, ensuring that the American taxpayer isn’t on the hook for excessive Biden-era rules that would have spent more than $100,000 per connection in some spots."
The BEAD program was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). It aimed to make high-speed Internet affordable nationwide but faced criticism over delays and increased costs due to various mandates introduced in May 2022.
In early 2023, Senator Cruz along with Republican colleagues raised concerns about NTIA's use of inaccurate maps in administering BEAD. He also criticized what he termed wasteful inclusion of liberal wish-list items in September through his Red Light Report.
In subsequent months last year, Senator Cruz addressed issues regarding accountability within NTIA under President Biden's leadership. He highlighted failures related to satellite provider exclusion from Census data considerations.
Senator Cruz has been vocal about reforming BEAD management practices since then-President Trump's election win brought changes at NTIA's helm with an eye towards improved connectivity outcomes moving forward.
