As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was set to expand high-speed internet access across the United States.
Until President Donald Trump took office in January 2025 and froze federal funding for numerous programs. the BEAD program was designed to provide $42.45 billion for planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and other territories.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia authored legislation to create the program, and in late May was joined by 11 Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration release the funding.
Virginia is expected to receive $1.4 billion in federal funding from the program. However, Virginia has been unable to finalize its broadband deployment plans after Trump halted funding for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act projects in January and announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) would be revising the guidelines for the BEAD program. Colorado was set to receive $826.5 million from the program.
“We write with concern regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) recent announcement that it is delaying the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. This unprecedented move by the NTIA will further delay our communities from having the connectivity they need to grow and thrive. To unlock the full strength of the U.S. economy, every community must have access to the vast opportunities enabled by broadband, and this can be achieved by your Administration following the law as outlined in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” the senators’ letter states.
The letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. Jackie Rosen of Nevada, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Gary Peters of Michigan, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Angus King of Maine.
“Currently, there are multiple states ready for broadband providers to put shovels in the ground tomorrow. NTIA must act swiftly to release BEAD funding to states that have already been approved and expeditiously work to approve the remaining eligible applications. Time is of the essence, and our rural and tribal communities cannot afford more delays,” they wrote to the Trump Administration.
Warner has long fought to expand access to broadband in Virginia. As an author and negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law, he secured $65 billion in funding to help deploy broadband and decrease costs associated with connecting to the internet nationwide.
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Rebecca Barnabi
