The NTIA announced that it has approved 18 final BEAD proposals — 15 U.S. states and 3 U.S. territories — under the $42.5 billion BEAD program. The approved states and territories are: Louisiana; Wyoming; Iowa; Georgia; Arkansas; Delaware; Maine; New Hampshire; Connecticut; South Carolina; North Dakota; Hawaii; Montana; Rhode Island; Virginia; plus the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the …
Alaska’s BEAD sticker shock: $113,578 per location is 181% higher than New Mexico’s high $40,433 benchmark
Alaska’s preliminary BEAD award slate landed last week with a six-figure outlier that dwarfs even the pricey builds called out elsewhere. When New Mexico’s $40,433-per-location fiber proposal drew scrutiny in August, it became a national reference point for “too high” costs. Alaska’s tentative award to Quintillion Subsea Ops. clocks in at $113,578 per location—about 181% higher than New Mexico’s benchmark. …
New Mexico’s $40,433-per-doorstep BEAD fiber should face a tech-neutral sanity check
Commentary: Valley Telephone Cooperative is slated for $40,433 per passing (300 locations), the highest line item in New Mexico’s final BEAD proposal. Oso Internet Solutions isn’t far behind at $39,253 (729 locations). In parts of Valley’s footprint, the typical home value hovers near $100,000, so U.S. taxpayers are being asked to fund a single pass that approaches half—or more—of a …
Deepening the digital divide: Pew says cities will gain as rural towns lose in broken broadband rollout
Despite historic federal investments in broadband infrastructure, a new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts warns that the United States may fall short of its universal connectivity goals—not because of insufficient funding, but due to inconsistent, outdated, and incomplete federal data that fails to capture where broadband is needed most and how well it works. Pew’s July 8, 2025 assessment, “To …
BEAD prevailing wage confusion in Pennsylvania puts wireless infrastructure contractors at risk
Pennsylvania’s project-specific prevailing wage system is under increased scrutiny as broadband providers, contractors, and lawmakers raise concerns that the state’s complex wage determination process makes it harder to expand broadband efficiently in rural areas. Unlike most states that establish geographic prevailing wage rates, Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) determines wage classifications on a per-project basis—often after the project …
Evan Feinman departs BEAD program, warning of ‘deeply negative outcomes’ from favoring satellites
The $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is at a crossroads following the departure of its director, Evan Feinman. In a farewell email to staff (available below), Feinman issued a stark warning that proposed shifts in the program’s direction—moving away from fiber broadband infrastructure in favor of satellite-based alternatives—could result in “deeply negative outcomes” for rural America. …
BEAD program: $250M in admin, a goose egg in construction—Senator Cruz wants answers after 1,107 days
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee and its incoming chairman, has issued a stern warning to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding what he deems “unlawful” activities in administering the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Cruz announced plans to review and potentially revamp the program when the GOP …
CWA Unions see uneven wage hikes in AT&T agreements: West vs. Southeast which gets a BEAD perk
AT&T workers, including technicians, customer service representatives, and others who install, maintain, and support AT&T’s network, will receive wage increases of at least 15% throughout the new four-year collective bargaining agreement in the West and over 19% during the new five-year agreement in the Southeast. In the contract that covers the Southeast, Wire Technicians and Utility Operations professionals, who will …
