Rhode Island Open for BEAD Applications

April 7, 2025 – Rhode Island began accepting applications Wednesday for its $108.7 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program funds. The deadline for submissions is May 9, 2025.

Relative to some larger states, Rhode Island has a comparatively small pool of unconnected locations, with just 2,879 eligible homes and businesses up for grabs according to state data originally posted on the state's web site. The state told the Commerce Department in May 2024 that it expected to have more than enough money to reach everyone.

“The BEAD Program will ensure that every home and business —regardless of where they’re located—has access to reliable, high-speed internet,” Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce Liz Tanner said in a statement. “We’re eager to start these investments in Rhode Island, which strengthen our communities and support Rhode Island’s economic future.”

There’s some uncertainty around the $42.5 billion BEAD program as the Trump administration mulls changes to its rules, including a roll back of its preference for fiber. The program allows states, the ones selecting projects under Commerce guidelines, to fund non-fiber projects if fiber would be too expensive – something states can currently decide for themselves – or if no fiber providers are interested in a given area.

GOP lawmakers and the Trump administration have been critical of the fiber preference, instituted under the Biden administration with the hope that its higher speeds would make it more long-term infrastructure. Opponents want more money going to less costly technologies like fixed wireless and satellite. Elon Musk, the billionaire and close advisor to the president, owns the satellite ISP Starlink.

It’s not clear how significant the shift will be, or whether the more than 30 states that have begun the process of fielding applications will have to redo any of that work. Three states had spending plans approved under the Biden administration, but their funding has been held up by a grants manager review since Trump took office. West Virginia had put together such a plan with tentative grant winners, but announced a 90-day window in which it would rework the document after the state’s governor met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The state has not signalled so far that ISPs would have to resubmit applications.

Arielle Roth, Trump’s pick to head the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Commerce agency handling BEAD, has also been critical of the fiber preference. She was noncommittal about the program’s future in her confirmation hearing. Senators are set to vote on her confirmation Wednesday.

Cox Communications had sued Rhode Island over its BEAD map last year, alleging 30,000 locations in its footprint were improperly marked as underserved, meaning their connections were deemed slow enough to make them eligible for new BEAD-funded infrastructure. 

The two parties settled out of court. The terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed, but a Cox spokesperson said at the time that “the approved maps allay our concerns related to overbuilding and the creation of duplicative networks.” 

More recent FCC coverage data has also become available since the complaint was filed, which could also account for some of the change in eligible locations.