NTIA Leader Roth Emphasizes Importance of BEAD Deployments
The Trump administration official expressed excitement over the program’s expansion and hopes to see more progress.
WASHINGTON, June 9, 2026 – A top Trump administration official is optimistic that millions of Americans will get first-class Internet service over the next few years.
Arielle Roth, administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, continues to stress the importance of deploying broadband as quickly as possible.
One year after the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Restructuring Policy Notice was issued by Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnik, Roth discussed BEAD under the Trump administration at a Federal Communications Bar Association event on Tuesday.
At the beginning of the administration, BEAD was not off the ground and faced many challenges. "Many regulatory burdens that had driven away participation in the program and slowed the program's rollout,” Roth said.
She explained that the administration's primary goal was to “make sure the rules align with the laws issued by Congress and increase participation to expedite the program.” The $42.45 billion BEAD program has seen progress in the past year, with the first customer being connected to high-speed internet in a rural, western part of Nebraska.
Roth traveled to Nebraska to celebrate the occasion, explaining her excitement over the program’s progression. She explained the tower used to provide access is “technology that was secluded from even participating under the previous rules.”
The BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice changed the rules to allow all broadband technologies that hit speeds of 100 megabits per second download speed and 20 mbps upload speed to participate in the program. The changes also got rid of excessive regulations and reset applications, with states awarding funds to the lowest-priced proposals.
The program will continue to be administered across the United States, with the NTIA ensuring that states are fulfilling BEAD requirements and projects are being deployed. With the change in rules, states are currently waiting to hear what they can do with the $20 billion in non-deployment money left in the BEAD program.
When asked what she would most like to accomplish at the end of her service, Roth said, “I certainly hope to see a lot of progress in the deployment of BEAD projects.” She expressed confidence in these deployments happening, and she hopes to see the project cross the finish line in addition to other NTIA projects.
