NTIA Administrator Roth, Governor Pillen Applaud Nebraska’s First BEAD-Funded Household Connection

The National Telecommunication and Information Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce joined the Nebraska Governor’s Office in announcing that the first Nebraska household has been connected to broadband through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, one of the first BEAD-funded connections in the country. Administrator Roth and Governor Pillen made the announcement from Ogallala, where they visited the home connected by BEAD and observed firsthand the fixed wireless tower providing broadband service. Today’s announcement further underscores the impact of the Trump Administration’s Benefit of Bargain reforms, which enabled states like Nebraska to accelerate broadband deployment by leveraging a diverse mix of technologies, including fixed wireless, consistent with the law. Congress established the BEAD program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, with Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) playing a leading role on broadband accountability and mapping provisions. Nebraska’s final BEAD proposal was approved in November 2025.