NTIA Continues Non-Deployment Listening Sessions

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Round-Up for the Week of February 16-20, 2026

We've been...well, listening in to the listening sessions held by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding the use of potential Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program non-deployment funds. This week, NTIA held its second session on the subject, which concluded just before the deadline for written input on what to do with non-deployment funding.

Between the two sessions, roughly 85 people were able to communicate their non-deployment ideas to NTIA staff. Broadband adoption (including affordable broadband, low-cost devices, and digital skills training) is the most supported use mentioned over both meetings. Here's what speakers said during round two, and how it compares to the first session last week.

Broadband Adoption Dominated

Speakers at the session—just like in last week's—stressed the need for non-deployment funding to support broadband adoption, including low-cost devices, digital skills training, and broadband affordability. A variety of stakeholders said that adoption efforts are an essential piece of deployment, and that BEAD won't achieve its mission without them.

"The digital divide will not be closed once all the bead funds are deployed to build networks," said Amy Huffman, Policy Director at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). "The pipes, wires, and spectrum are only addressing one part of the digital divide, and without addressing all the barriers, the BEAD Program will fail in its mission to connect all Americans to high-speed internet."

Huffman urged NTIA to permit states to invest their non-deployment dollars in broadband adoption, including programs to provide affordable internet-capable devices.

"States should not only be permitted but encouraged to sub-grant non-deployment funds to local organizations in their states that deliver digital skills programs, offer digital navigation services, provide devices, and support their communities in all the ways they might need to support, need support to get and stay online," she said.

MacKenzie Bills, Policy Consultant for the Re-Imagining Rural Assistant Networks (RRAN) coalition, expressed that Tribes and rural areas need broadband adoption funding to combat the persistent digital divide that exists in their communities.

"Roughly 22% of rural and 27% in Tribal communities do not have access to high-quality broadband," said Bills.

Bills told NTIA that to help with these gaps, broadband adoption needs to be prioritized.

"We recommend closing the internet divide by prioritizing rural, indigenous, and persistent poverty and unserved communities, and allowing the non-deployment dollars to be used for adoption implementation."

James Mitchell, a GIS professional from Louisiana, described his experiences using assistive technologies as a blind person. The cost of not prioritizing digital inclusion with the remaining BEAD funds, he said, is that people with disabilities won't be able to use the infrastructure being built out.

"We need digital navigators and assistive technology for people with disabilities to be able to use that connectivity," said Mitchell. "A hundred years ago, they were connecting houses with the latest and greatest telecommunications, telephones, wired connections, but people who were deaf couldn't use those telephones for another 50 years because [Telecommunications Device for the Deaf] weren't available to them. We need to not make that mistake again."

Ultimately, speakers reminded NTIA that broadband adoption and affordability are not supplementary to the BEAD Program—rather, they were necessary parts of its creation.

"What is truly at stake in this moment is whether resources are squandered and with them, if there will be opportunities denied or dreams deferred," said Alisa Valentin, Broadband Policy Director at Public Knowledge. "We appreciated the recent clear affirmation from [Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick] that the full $21 billion in non-deployment funding will be made available to states and territories, which is consistent with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's intent and design."

Valentin said that broadband adoption and affordability are not "optional add-ons" to BEAD.

"When people cannot afford service, lack devices, or do not have the support from the people and organizations that form the human infrastructure of broadband, they're effectively locked out of today's economy. They cannot apply for jobs, compete for remote work, access skills training, start businesses, or fully participate in civic life...Public Knowledge urges NTIA to follow the statute and release states' full BEAD allocations for use as Congress intended."

State and Local Flexibility Remain a Priority

Continuing from the first listening session were calls to ensure that BEAD non-deployment funding retains flexibility for state and local organizations to use as needed. There were a variety of different thoughts on the subject, depending on the speakers' regions and pressing broadband issues.

Sara Nichols from the Land of Sky Regional Council in Western North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance said that non-deployment funds could support a number of needs in Western North Carolina, ranging from digital literacy to disaster resilience.

"We believe BEAD's success depends on adoption, affordability, resilience, devices, workforce, and infrastructure that works for our region," said Nichols. "We respectfully urge NTIA to implement the statute as written and give states the flexibility needed to close the digital divide in full."

Nichols also said that non-deployment funds could address emerging gaps in the networks themselves.

"We also urge NTIA to allow states to address newly identified unserved locations," she said. "In North Carolina alone, more than 21,000 locations have emerged since mapping. These gaps must not be left behind simply because they were discovered later in the process or rules have changed."

Jude-Anne Heath, Executive Director of Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership, said that innovation demands opportunity, and without non-deployment funds, not all communities will be able to participate in the digital economy.

"Taking away the non-deployment [funding] and the flexibility to choose what works best for each state removes the benefit of the bargain," said Heath. "This flexibility was particularly important for states with large Hispanic populations, allowing them to tailor programs to address specific language needs, cultural considerations, and economic barriers."

Local government weighed in on the flexibility argument, including J.P. Ducro, County Commissioner in Ashtabula County, Ohio. 

"States and local leaders are capable of determining what is best in our own communities. Give us the flexibility and authority to decide for ourselves what is the best way to get service to our residents," said Ducro. "If we had that ability, many BEAD projects may already have had funding deployed and been completed, and our citizens would have the services already that they so desperately need."

Speakers Highlight Permitting Reform

In both sessions, a share of speakers from the telecommunications industry discussed the need for permitting reform. 

Lucas Pietrzak, Public Policy Director for the Fiber Broadband Association, said streamlined permitting will accelerate broadband deployment and help maximize the long-term impact of the BEAD Program.

"Providers across the country consistently cite permitting as one of the most significant barriers to timely deployment," said Pietrzak. "We encourage NTIA to direct states and territories to use non-deployment funds to modernize and streamline permitting processes at both the state and local level. That includes investing in additional human capital to process applications, digitizing paper-based records, developing public-facing permitting dashboards to improve transparency, and exploring innovative AI tools to assist with application review."

In last week's session, Madeline Sorg from the Wireless Infrastructure Association echoed the need for expedited permitting processes.

"Efficient permitting remains essential to timely deployment," said Sorg. "We support NTIA's work on encouraging states to ensure that permitting requirements and processes are predictable, proportionate and transparent...targeted use of non-deployment funds to modernize and coordinate permitting functions at the state and local level will help projects move forward without necessary barriers."

Workforce Development is Necessary for Everyone

An all-around concern for speakers is whether or not non-deployment funds will be made available for workforce development opportunities. For some, that meant allowing people to gain digital skills and access new jobs. For others, it meant expanding the broadband technician workforce to support the incoming BEAD deployment boom.

"Workforce development, including AI literacy, is essential to ensure broadband investment translates into economic growth," said Land of Sky's Nichols. "The US Department of Labor recognized AI literacy as a core workforce competency. For rural regions like ours, investments and technician training. AI-enabled workforce pathways will determine whether our communities compete or fall behind in an increasingly digital economy."

On the infrastructure side, the Fiber Broadband Association's Pietrzak highlighted the labor demands of BEAD deployment.

"BEAD represents a generational investment in broadband infrastructure, but its success depends on a skilled workforce capable of building and maintaining these networks," he said. "NTIA should allow states to use non-deployment funds to train and deploy the workforce needed for the BEAD Program."

Cesar Ruiz, President and CEO of the Learning Alliance Corporation, acknowledged the costs if this kind of support doesn't come from non-deployment funds.

"If we do not align the benefit of the bargain funds to measurable workforce outcomes, we will not have the technicians required to execute the infrastructure investment already committed," Ruiz said.

Of All the Topics, Which Ones Came Out on Top?

The two non-deployment listening sessions contained a few recurring themes that steered the conversation amongst everyone who was able to speak. By our estimates, these key topics were mentioned by the speakers at the rates given below:

1. Broadband Adoption: Affordability, Device Access & Digital Literacy                                                       43 (times mentioned by speakers)
2. Workforce Development                                                                                                                           22
3. Broadband Affordability                                                                                                                            13
4. Regional/Local Flexibility                                                                                                                         13
5. Permitting Reform                                                                                                                                    12
6. Middle Mile & AI infra                                                                                                                               12
7. Public Safety & Emergency Response/911                                                                                               9
8. More Infrastructure                                                                                                                                    7
9. EdTech/Kids Safety                                                                                                                                   7
10. Return Funds to Treasury                                                                                                                         5
11. Wireless infra                                                                                                                                            5
12. Mapping/Data Collection                                                                                                                           4
13. Tribal broadband                                                                                                                                       3
14. Air Traffic Control                                                                                                                                      1
15. Radio Technology                                                                                                                                     1

The deadline for written input on BEAD non-deployment funds was Wednesday, 5 PM ET, just after the second listening session. NTIA is currently reviewing this input.

Quick Bits

• FCC Proposes Accountability Reforms to Lifeline Program
• FCC Launches Investigations into Suspect Lifeline Providers
• Louisiana first to distribute BEAD infrastructure dollars
• Illinois Bill Seeks Broadband Price Caps for Low-Income Customers

Weekend Reads

• AI Literacy Framework
• Abundant Home Broadband for All Californians: A Pathway to Digital Prosperity
• CBO Scores Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act
• Broadband Labels

ICYMI from Benton

• NTIA Must Follow the Law and Allow States to Address Broadband Affordability and Adoption
• Invitation | Telecom Act at 30: Universal Service as the North Star, March 5th
• History Lessons
• What Policies Matter to Telco’s Success: Supply Side or Demand Side? Or Something Else?

Upcoming Events

Feb 20––Governing Disruption: 2026 AI Policy Outlook (Glen Echo Group)

Feb 24––Challenging the Arguments Behind Youth Social Media Bans (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation)

Feb 24––The Telecommunications Act of 1996 at 30 (Public Knowledge)

Feb 25––AI + work: Building pro-worker AI (Hamilton Project)

Feb 26––Digital Equity Community of Practice (California Department of Technology)

Feb 26––Middle-Mile & Long-Haul Fiber Reality Check: What It Actually Takes to Deliver on These Projects (Fiber Broadband Association)

Mar 5––Telecom Act at 30: Universal Service as the North Star (Benton Institute for Broadband & Society)

Mar 5––Context Matters: Building Trust in Digital Content (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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