A coalition of bipartisan state legislators from 28 states has urged U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to expedite approval of state Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) plans. They emphasized that making program changes mandatory could severely delay broadband deployment. Notable successes in states like Louisiana, Nevada, and Delaware were highlighted, with achievements in fiber coverage. The need for broadband is critical, especially for the 25% of rural residents lacking access, and the legislators stress the importance of respecting current plans to ensure effective implementation without further delays.
"After three years of preparation, we are just now beginning to implement our BEAD and DE programs, and it is going very well."
"State BEAD and DE programs have been designed by and for state stakeholders, and they are poised to bring high-speed, reliable, affordable, and scalable broadband to virtually every last one of our constituents."
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