BEAD

How Quintillion is Justifying Some of the Most Expensive Tentative BEAD Projects

The Commerce Department is looking to drive down spending under the program.

Jake Neenan

Dec 2, 2025 — 3 min read

Photo by Joris Beugels published with permission

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2025 – Companies that won tentative grants under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program need to defend projects that come in above a certain per-location cost.

Alaska fiber provider Quintillion was tentatively approved for what are likely two of the most expensive projects, on a per-location basis, in the whole $42.45 billion program. President Mac McHale thinks the company can convince the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to let them stand.

NTIA is using an internal cost model to determine which projects need justification or rebidding. Projects above the 60th percentile – more expensive per location than 60 percent of deployment projects predicted by the model in a given state – need a written defense.

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BEAD Mac McHale Quintillion Alaska

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