Maine’s BEAD Plan Delayed, Triggered by NTIA’s New Policy Direction

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2025 – Maine will likely miss its June 12 final proposal deadline under the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, state officials acknowledged this week, citing a pending federal policy rewrite that has effectively paused progress.

In a notice sent to stakeholders late Wednesday, Maine Connectivity Authority Chief Operating Officer Brian Allenby said that the program's administrator, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, has halted key procedural meetings with the state required to move forward with BEAD implementation.

“Late last week, NTIA confirmed that anticipated updates to the BEAD program will make it infeasible for MCA to complete the program requirements in the previously defined timeframe,” Allenby wrote.

The news from NTIA left the state in the dark on key issues.

“An updated policy notice is currently expected from NTIA in mid-May, although the final timing and the scope of the program changes under that notice are still to be determined,” he said.

Maine isn’t the first state to adjust course. West Virginia recently secured a three-month extension on its BEAD final proposal after Gov. Patrick Morrisey, R, met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. But while West Virginia’s delay appeared voluntary – framed as a strategic move to give the state time to revise its plan in light of the Trump administration’s new emphasis on tech neutrality and cost-efficiency – Maine’s pause has been forced by a freeze in guidance from NTIA.

The shift in the BEAD program’s direction under the Trump administration has sparked growing resistance across the country.

In recent weeks, broadband officials in Maine and Minnesota have sent letters urging the Commerce Department not to upend years of planning. The states offered detailed recommendations to improve the BEAD program without delaying it, and emphasized that broadband deployment should remain grounded in local expertise.

Additionally, a bipartisan coalition of 115 state legislators from 28 states issued a public letter on April 3, warning “at this late stage, major changes [to BEAD] would undermine our work and delay deployment by years,” the legislators wrote. 

They urged caution. “The health, safety, education, and economic success of our communities depend on these programs. We ask that you tread cautiously when changing them,” they said.

The delay in Maine puts one of BEAD’s most advanced state programs on hold. 

MCA had just wrapped its project application process, receiving applications for 385 project areas, covering 79% of eligible locations in the state. MCA noted a highly competitive process with 70% of areas receiving multiple bids.

Applicants pledged to cover 39% of project costs with private funds, resulting in an average subsidy of under $5,000 per location. 

More than 90% of applications committed to finishing projects within two years of permitting. The state planned to use alternative technology options, like low-Earth orbit satellites and fixed wireless, to fill in remaining coverage areas.

“NTIA’s changes to program guidelines could have a significant downstream impact on our ISP partners and the communities they’re planning to serve,” Allenby wrote. “While we wait to inform applicants of the specifics of those changes, we cannot simultaneously proceed with detailed good-faith negotiations at this time. As a result, we are matching the pace being set.”

Maine’s future progress depends on the details in the final instructions handed down by NTIA.

“We will begin initial conversations with applicants this week, using this opportunity to compile as much information as possible and prepare to implement updated NTIA requirements as soon as they are communicated,” Allenby said.