Commerce Inspector General: Project Selection Timelines a Potential Struggle for BEAD

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2025 – Accelerated grantwriting and deployment timelines, along with inconsistent communications from the government, are potential obstacles to federally funded broadband deployments, the Commerce Department’s inspector general said in a report.

The agency houses the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which manages billions in broadband funding, including the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, as well as funding for middle mile infrastructure and Tribal broadband. 

Three states, the entities administering BEAD grants under the NTIA’s watch, received the greenlight on spending plans in the final days of the Biden administration, but the money has been held up as the Trump administration contemplates changes to the program’s fiber preference and other rules.