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  2. June 2025

June 2025

States Looking to Ensure Participation in New BEAD Rounds

State broadband heads are focused on keeping participation in the new round of bidding mandated for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration handed down new rules on June 6 for the $42.45 billion program that require a new round of bidding for all states with a new scoring rubric, among other things. “We could have a situation where we have less competition this time than we did last time.

Underserved Rural Americans View Fiber as Best Option for Broadband Infrastructure

The Fiber Broadband Association revealed results from a new consumer broadband study performed by RVA LLC. The study shows that Americans understand that fiber broadband is the best option for reliable, high-speed internet, and any other option falls short in supporting existing and future digital demands. Based on the 2025 study, 75 percent of both rural adults and suburban/urban adults now believe that high-quality internet is very important to their household. RVA surveyed 2,650 Americans, focusing on which broadband technology they perceived as having the best performance.

House Appropriations Committee advances additional funding for ReConnect

The House Appropriations Committee advanced numerous subcommittee allocations for Fiscal Year 2026. The measure was approved with a vote of 35 to 28. The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation. Earmarks include $643 million in Community Project Funding for 509 projects requested by 192 Members. There is $3.77 billion for Rural Development programs, prioritizing funding for home ownership and infrastructure lending, including $90 million for the ReConnect broadband program.

What Do We Know About LEO BEAD Bids?

Low Earth Orbit satellite internet service providers, like Starlink and (eventually) Amazon’s Kuiper, are poised to win big in the restructured Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. That’s because the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s new policy notice, released June 6, makes two major changes that benefit LEO technologies.

Analysis

What Do We Know About LEO BEAD Bids?

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Thursday, June 12, 2025

BEAD and the Rural Public

The biggest impact of changing the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program is on the public living in the rural areas that are covered by BEAD. Let me start with BEAD eligibility. The new rules include a provision that wireless internet service providers that claim speeds to the Federal Communications Commission of 100/20 Mbps using unlicensed spectrum can certify their capability to State Broadband Offices and have those areas removed from BEAD eligibility.

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