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.”