It’s Time to Advocate for BEAD Non-Deployment Funds

In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress specified five distinct ways that States and Territories could use the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment funds. States could competitively sub-grant funds to: 

1. Build broadband to unserved and underserved locations, 
2. Connecting Community Anchor Institutions, 
3. Data collection, broadband mapping, and planning; 
4. Install internet and Wi-Fi infrastructure or providing reduced-cost broadband within a multi-family residential building, and 
5. Broadband adoption, including programs to provide affordable internet-capable devices.

Congress designed BEAD so states could close the internet access gaps in their states and, with any remaining funds (use cases #3-#5 above), known as ‘non-deployment funds’, support the adoption and use of the BEAD-funded new and expanded networks. Everything changed after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration issued new guidance in a policy notice on June 6, 2025. In the notice, NTIA rescinded its prior approval for all non-deployment activities in the states’ Initial Proposals. It said then that it would provide further guidance later. In addition, the policy notice required states to revise their grant programs and run a new ‘benefit of the bargain’ round for deployment to unserved and underserved locations. Nearly all states have now submitted the results from their ‘benefit of the bargain’ round to NTIA, and most analyses indicate that many states will have remaining funds for non-deployment projects.