Wicker, Capito Introduce Bill to Ensure Use of Non-Deployment Funds
The bill would allow states to spend the money on wholesale fiber, workforce development, and mobile wireless infrastructure, among other things.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2025 – Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va., introduced Thursday a bill that would allow states to use non-deployment funding from the Commerce Department’s $42.45 billion broadband grant program.
The bill lays out acceptable uses of funds left over after states and territories secure broadband infrastructure grants for their eligible locations under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. About $21 billion is expected to remain after the Trump administration updated the program's rules to focus on reducing spending.
Among the uses Wicker and Capito laid out in their SUCCESS for BEAD Act were telecom workforce development programs, wholesale fiber, internet exchange points, and mobile wireless infrastructure, and other things.
Member discussion