BEAD Non-Deployment Dollars and the Risk of Unfulfilled Broadband Promises

The federal government’s big effort to build out broadband is facing a problem you don’t see often in Washington: There’s now more money left over in the program than anyone knows what to do with. Almost five years ago, Congress committed approximately $41 billion to connect all Americans to high-speed internet as part of its bipartisan infrastructure bill. But in a rare moment of wisdom, the Trump administration revamped the effort by nixing a number of ill-conceived rules that had slowed its progress and added to costs. That included removing most requirements unrelated to broadband deployment and opening up more opportunities for traditional fiber cable alternatives—like fixed wireless and low-Earth orbit satellite constellations—to service households. Now the question is how that extra funding ought to be used. The law made clear leftover money should be spent on “non-deployment” items, which are primarily related to affordability, adoption, and addressing connectivity for the underserved and community anchor institutions. But the $20 billion now sitting around is vastly larger than the amount Congress envisioned being spent on those priorities. There have been a host of creative solutions offered in listening sessions, ranging from practical ideas like ensuring devices like home computers are affordable (as was envisioned in statute) to absurd redirections like using the funds to modernize the air traffic control system.

[Mary Guenther is Head of Space Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, where she develops policy solutions around the U.S. government's relationship with commercial space actors.]