Free State Foundation Head Supports Looking at BEAD Savings to Address Mobile Dead Zones

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2026 – A policy blog published Monday by the Free State Foundation suggested the federal government should consider using a portion of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program’s projected savings to expand mobile coverage in rural areas.

The proposal comes as officials at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration weigh how to allocate roughly $21 billion in surplus funding from the $42.45 billion BEAD program.

In the blog post, Free State Foundation President Randolph May said a plan proposed by T-Mobile to address remaining mobile coverage gaps “deserves serious consideration.”

Under the proposal, up to $8 billion of the BEAD savings could be used to deploy roughly 6,000 additional mobile macro cell sites, potentially extending 5G coverage to about 99 percent of Americans, including rural highways and other underserved areas.

May said using BEAD funds to support a national mobile infrastructure program could “alleviate the need for a new USF 5G fund” while improving public safety by closing connectivity gaps.

The NTIA has not announced how the BEAD surplus funds will be used. Administrator Arielle Roth has said the agency is evaluating options to ensure the funding delivers measurable outcomes for consumers and taxpayers.