Amid Republican Opposition, BEAD Rural Broadband Changes May Be Delayed

The U.S. Commerce Department is not likely to announce changes to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program until June or July, according to Blair Levin, policy advisor for financial analyst firm New Street Research. Previously, an announcement had been expected around mid-May. Levin pointed to the Senate’s recent nomination hearing for Arielle Roth as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. While Republicans tended to ask Roth softball questions, those from some rural states were a bit more probing. For example, Sen Shelley Capito (R-WV) asked if July would be a reasonable deadline for Commerce’s BEAD review to be completed. Roth declined to answer, but, according to Levin, “Capito, who has had private conversations with [Commerce Secretary] Howard Lutnick, is trying to both accelerate the decision while being friendly to a fellow Republican....Her citing a July deadline suggested to us that the decision could be delayed from May.”