NTIA Confirms RDOF Defaults After June 6 Excluded From BEAD Eligibility
‘At some point we just had to draw a line,’ NTIA's chief of staff confirmed.
DENVER, August 5, 2025 – The chief of staff for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration confirmed Tuesday that locations recently defaulted on in one federal broadband program will not be eligible to be included in another.
NTIA Chief of Staff Brooke Donilon told attendees at Mountain Connect 2025 that Rural Digital Opportunity Fund locations defaulted on after June 6 would not be eligible for funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment program.
“At some point we just had to draw a line and get to the 'Benefit of the Bargain' program,” Donilon said. “We can’t let perfect be the enemy of the good here. We have to get communities connected. We could spend the next three years debating the policy cuts, or we could actually be productive, roll up our sleeves, and get things done.”
Hundreds of locations have been defaulted on since June 6, including locations in Colorado. Without inclusion in the BEAD program, it is unclear when these locations will receive broadband.
Donilon also appeared to waiver a bit when asked about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s promise to get funding to all states by the end of the year.
“Our Secretary testified at a hearing this summer that we were going to get money out the door by the end of the year,” Donilon said. “We’re very optimistic. We think the majority of the states will see money and be able to break ground.”
“You know, every state is different,” she continued. “They have different build seasons. Northern states may have to wait until the summer. Southern states can break ground immediately. So I think, you know, we could see some really early successes next year.”
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