How to "Spend" Unused BEAD Funding

Kudos are due to the Trump Administration for making key changes to the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to bring it into line with its underlying statute, while  generating  a better outcome at a fraction of the price. While state submissions are still being reviewed, the program’s total cost could ultimately come in 30 to 50 percent lower than its budgeted amount, saving upwards of $20 billion or more. Even in D.C., that is real money. The well-earned outcome raises questions over what to do with any savings. Given the needs of the nation, a healthy portion, and perhaps all, of this money should be returned to the U.S. Treasury. In other words, the saving should inure to the benefit of American taxpayers. Given the difficult financial circumstances which our country confronts, perhaps the most reasonable course is to return the funds to the Treasury. If this is deemed too bold and the Administration sees fit to allow some use of funds, it would be best that those expenditures be tailored specifically to BEAD’s central mission.  

[Michael O’Rielly, a former FCC Commissioner, is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Free State Foundation]