N.D. Broadband Leader Sees ‘Business As Usual’ for BEAD Under Trump

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2024 – At least one state broadband officer believes that the Biden administration’s $42.5 billion flagship broadband expansion program – the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program – will continue largely as planned under the new Republican administration, without major disruptions.

While some Republicans have raised concerns over the program’s “onerous requirements,” and GOP policy experts recently suggested a possible shift towards prioritizing alternative technologies like low Earth orbit satellites and unlicensed fixed wireless over fiber, North Dakota's top broadband official told Broadband Breakfast he expects “business as usual.” 

As Brian Newby, director of the North Dakota broadband office, noted in an email, “many of the items related to the program are set in law.”