#fiber-deployment

#fiber-deployment

Texas' Benefit of the Bargain funding round saved $2 billion compared to allocations by the Biden administration, according to a press release from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) about the Texas proposal. The original funding had been $3.31 billion, but was finalized at $1.26 billion. This is about $5 billion less than the $6.4 billion BEAD applicants requested as of August of 2025. Builders will also contribute a match of nearly $600 million, according to information published by the NTIA.

The broadband capital expenditure (capex) report provides a chronological overview of the amount invested: 2020-2024 ($90.4 billion on average per year); 2014-2019 ($78 billion); 2009-2013 ($69.2 billion); 2002-2008 ($65.8 billion); and 1996-2001 ($85.6 billion). The drivers of the investment were not monolithic. The broadband capex report points to five phases of investment: 1996-2001: Light-touch regulation and dot-com boom 2002-2008: Stabilization, early broadband and mobility advancement 2009-2013: Start of the streaming era and smartphone surge 2014-2019: Fiber and wireless densification 2020-2024: Remote connectivity, 5G and AI era