What’s Next for Broadband Expansion?

After years of waiting, states and territories will soon begin breaking ground on projects intended to expand access to high-speed internet nationwide under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

In June of 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Department of Commerce agency responsible for administering this program, published updated rules for BEAD, rescinding previous guidance and conditional approvals for funding. The agency gave states 90 days to integrate new requirements and finalize their projects. On Nov. 18, the NTIA announced the first 18 approvals and has continued to make approvals on a rolling basis.

Build Communities Broadband Expansion Requires Federal and State Coordination

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BEAD, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021, will connect nearly 5 million households, community institutions, and small businesses to high-speed internet, but funding approval is just the first step. The law requires that service be available on all funded networks within four years of internet service providers (ISPs) receiving awards.

Meeting such ambitious requirements for construction and service delivery will necessitate strong coordination among every level of government and ISPs. In the years to come, Congress will play a crucial role in ensuring that the program is administered in line with its original intent and timeline. Although the timing and circumstances will vary by state, federal lawmakers should be aware of key markers that will shape how the implementation of BEAD is unfolding:

1. States secure federal approval and receive funds

When the new guidance was announced, the NTIA committed to an expedited review process intended to approve final proposals within 90 days of submission. The reviews are tailored to each state and involve a process referred to as “curing” in which NTIA staff provide feedback on proposed project areas, providers, and cost estimates. The NTIA and states negotiate any corrective actions before final proposals are approved. As a result, those criteria may look different from the original submission.

Once a state’s proposal is approved, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) must also sign off to ensure compliance with BEAD’s technical and financial requirements. States will not receive funding until each of these steps has been completed.

As the NTIA continues the process of reviewing and approving state plans, federal policymakers should familiarize themselves with their state broadband offices’ final proposals. This includes any changes made during the curing process, such as updates to the number of locations that will be served and the types of connections that will be provided. Congressional delegations should encourage the NTIA to work collaboratively with states to ensure that the plans meet statutory and other program requirements while offering flexibility to best serve the unique needs of every community.

2. States and ISPs prepare for construction

After states receive NTIA and NIST approval, they have six months to finalize their subgrantee agreements with ISPs. Upon signing, ISPs have 30 days to certify that they will not take additional federal funds to complete these BEAD-funded builds before they can begin to secure the necessary federal, state, and local permits required to initiate construction. The patchwork of permitting processes across jurisdictions and levels of government is a well-documented challenge that can delay and disrupt network build-out and threaten providers’ ability to meet program timelines.

At the federal level, the NTIA launched a new permitting initiative in early 2025 called the Environmental Screening and Permitting Tracking Tool as part of a push to prevent delays. According to the agency, this tool will help states and territories navigate the review process, escalate federal permitting issues for interagency resolution, and evaluate and track progress. Still, NTIA staff have expressed concern that federal agencies may lack sufficient staffing to process and approve permits within preferred timelines.

The Pew Charitable Trusts has highlighted how the Federal Communications Commission and states are working to improve the process for attaching broadband lines to existing utility poles to prevent delays and unexpected costs during construction. Moving forward, dedicated coordination among federal policymakers, state officials, and others will be critical to minimizing bottlenecks that may delay BEAD deployment.

3. ISPs build networks and connect homes

Once construction begins, two factors—the materials supply chain and workforce capacity—will influence the speed of work. Federal policymakers, states, and providers have identified these concerns as potential barriers, and one ISP in Louisiana raised the issue directly with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in April 2025. With all states operating on similar timelines, competition for materials could intensify. In addition, uncertainty around tariffs could affect the availability and cost of materials and equipment.

Some industry professionals also anticipate construction obstacles linked to workforce shortages as providers prepare to build broadband networks. One market analysis in 2024 suggested that an additional 28,000 broadband construction workers and 30,000 broadband technicians will be needed just to complete already planned federal and state broadband projects. Further, recent research from Pew identifies data collection practices, stagnant wages, and demographic and geographic challenges as barriers to expanding the broadband workforce.

As federal policymakers monitor progress, assessing the impact of supply chain and workforce issues and exploring options to address such barriers will be key—particularly as discussions about how to use remaining BEAD funds continue.

4. State and federal governments collect data and monitor progress

BEAD represents an unprecedented investment of public funds in broadband, and monitoring its progress is essential to ensuring the program achieves its intended purpose. The statute requires states and territories to submit semiannual reports—as well as a final report once construction is completed—to NIST, which will work with the NTIA to track progress and ensure that program milestones have been met. The law also requires the NTIA to maintain a public database to track the program’s milestones and success.

State reports will include details such as the number of locations with new service and how many households and businesses have subscribed. These reports will be developed with data gathered from the ISPs that received grants, including information such as miles built, advertised, and delivered broadband speeds, and subscription prices. The NTIA can require additional information from states to track progress.

States also must examine how BEAD investments in expanding broadband access affect economic and social outcomes related to health, educational attainment, and job creation. Research from Pew and Michigan State University has found that states will need additional support to do these analyses and avoid mistakes of past federal programs.  

State broadband offices, ISPs, and the NTIA have a shared responsibility to ensure accurate reporting and high-quality data collection. Federal policymakers will be crucial partners in ensuring that data is used to monitor progress, measure program success, identify emerging challenges, and ensure that funds are used effectively.

5. States navigate uncertainty surrounding nondeployment funds

BEAD’s enabling statute allows states to use remaining dollars for activities outside of deployment, such as broadband adoption programs and reduced cost broadband service for multidwelling units. It also leaves some discretion for the NTIA to define additional uses that would facilitate the goals of the program. According to the five-year action plans required by BEAD statute and published in 2023, state broadband offices had planned to use these “nondeployment” funds for activities that would support BEAD’s program goals, including permitting, cybersecurity, workforce training, and consumer outreach. But the NTIA’s June 6 notice placed an indefinite pause on the use of these dollars.

States have requested immediate guidance from the NTIA on the allowed use of remaining funds, which were intended to alleviate some of the deployment barriers noted above, including the workforce shortage and the processing of permits, and extend the economic impact of these new networks. In December 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that made states with certain types of artificial intelligence regulations ineligible to receive such nondeployment funding. Under this order, the NTIA must issue guidance specifying the conditions under which states will be eligible for this funding by March 11.

Promptly resolving the uncertainty around the use of these funds will be essential for states to address deployment barriers and connect locations.

The work ahead

Delivering on BEAD’s ambitious promise will take more than strong plans. It will require dedicated coordination among all levels of government and industry, as well as a sustained focus on transparency and accountability. As program guidance continues to solidify and evolve through the implementation process, federal lawmakers can work with states and the NTIA to eliminate roadblocks and answer questions. Such a shared commitment to universal access can help transform BEAD’s potential into lasting progress for communities nationwide.

Kathryn de Wit is the director of and Sophia Bock is a principal associate with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ broadband access initiative.