National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Retaining the Power of States to Make Technology Decisions on BEAD Funding

Looking back on the bipartisan Infrastructure Act and its early days, the push by many at that time was fiber only and fiber everywhere. And if you are following the recent news that pendulum has swung to people insisting that Starlink is the solution for all remaining unserved and underserved locations.

President Trump Appoints Adam Cassady as NTIA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Administrator

Adam Cassady was appointed by President Trump on March 17, 2025, as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. In this capacity, he provides advice and assistance to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information in the formulation, development, and implementation of telecommunications and information policies of the Executive Branch. Until an Assistant Secretary is sworn in, Mr.

Measuring Internet Access and Use Among Older Adults

Today, we published Older Adults Online: Measuring Internet Access and Use, guidance to help states develop the indicators and methodologies that will help them measure progress and identify ongoing connectivity gaps and hurdles. Our guide provides an overview of statutory requirements about indicators and measurable objectives from the Digital equity Act (DEA).

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick touts Elon Musk’s Starlink for US broadband scheme

Donald Trump’s commerce secretary touted Elon Musk’s Starlink to federal officials in charge of a $42 billion rural broadband programme, raising new questions about the billionaire White House adviser’s conflicts of interest. In a private meeting in the Herbert Hoover building near the White House, Secretary Howard Lutnick told civil servants at the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) programme to increase the project’s use of satellite connectivity — over fibre-optic cable — and singled out Musk’s provider, Starlink.

Colorado Provides BEAD Round 2 Roundup

The Colorado broadband office offered an update on Round 2 of their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants applicant activity. The office closed the second application window through its Advance Colorado Broadband grant program at the end of February. During the second round, the office received 96 applications from 22 companies for a proposed $825 million total investment, including $649,000 in requested funding and $176 million in matching funds.

Sixteen Questions With the New Jersey Broadband Office

The New Jersey Office of Broadband Connectivity and its director, Vallary Bullard, answered 16 questions from Telecompetitor recently. Some highlights:

  • OBC will determine and publish “Project Area Building Blocks." Potential subgrantees will have the flexibility to design their overall project area proposals by combining a set of PABBs.

Top broadband official exits Commerce Department with sharp Musk warning

Evan Feinman, a top Commerce Department official sent a blistering email to his former colleagues on his way out the door warning that the Trump administration is poised to unduly enrich Elon Musk’s satellite internet company with money for rural broadband. The technology offered by Starlink, Musk’s company, is inferior, Feinman warned.

West Virginia officials prepare for changes to federal broadband expansion program

After three years of working with the federal government for more than $1 billion in broadband expansion funding, state officials are bracing for what will come next after a pause was announced. West Virginia Broadband Office Director Kelly Workman said they are expecting changes in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program but aren’t quite sure what those might include.  Officials with the Trump administration announced a “rigorous review” of the $42.5 billion program. “There are some suggestions that have been raised concerning efficiencies that can be gained through the enviro

Maine's Message to Secretary Lutnick on BEAD

The Maine Connectivity Authority believes there are several ways to both accelerate and improve the BEAD program, reducing barriers and maximizing the Return On Investment (ROI):

Broadband Expansion May Hinge on States’ Processes for Attaching Lines to Utility Poles

Increasing broadband deployment has been a critical component of the United States’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a central aspect of the recent wave of funding aimed at modernizing the country’s infrastructure. However, achieving the goal of those federal commitments will require a new degree of public and private sector collaboration, and one issue in particular is causing a disproportionate amount of uncertainty: the attaching of lines for broadband to utility poles. To better understand pole attachment challenges and begin to identify possible policy solutions, The Pew Charitabl