As President-elect Donald Trump staffs his new administration, states relying on federal money to fund broadband internet expansion might worry about what the future holds, notes Government Executive.
The FCC and NTIA have played key roles in efforts to bridge the digital divide. The two agencies have helped drive the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program, funded under the 2021 infrastructure law. But in previous writings, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who is Trump’s choice to lead the FCC, has appeared skeptical of BEAD, which he criticized repeatedly, Inside Towers reported. Carr said under the Biden Administration, lots of broadband deployment grants have been doled out, but no shovels turned as of 2024.
In Carr’s FCC chapter in Project 2025, a conservative project outlining the agenda for a Republican president, Carr said connectivity programs “have been plagued by a troubling lack of accountability and good governance.” He also said the federal government has not put enough protections in place to govern how the money is spent. A Carr spokesperson did not respond to requests for further comment.
That could spell trouble for states and localities who are counting on those federal funds to get their residents online, especially if Trump’s as-yet-unnamed NTIA administrator follows suit, reports Government Executive. The administration could withhold funds from states altogether or order them either to spend funds they have received or to withdraw any grant awards. The latter scenario is unlikely as it would be unpopular, according to experts, given the bipartisan support for broadband funding at the state level.
“I think that that is one of the unsung and underappreciated advantages of the [BEAD] program: that governors, state legislators and their agency partners, they see the value in this program,” said Kathryn de Wit, project director of the Broadband Access Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts. “States were accelerating their investment in broadband … This is a significant expense, and that is not something that states can fully take on themselves.”
The incoming Trump administration has offered no specifics on how it will proceed. In an email, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the transition, said Trump was elected “by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver.”
For now, uncertainty reigns as state and local observers wait and see what the incoming administration plans to do.
“That’s the $42 billion question,” said Angelina Panettieri, legislative director for IT and communications for the National League of Cities, of the lingering uncertainty around BEAD. The FCC and NTIA declined comment, though the latter referred to a recent blog post that said every participant has had their plans approved.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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