What was the Speeding BEAD Summit?
On June 12, 2025, Broadband Breakfast hosted the Speeding BEAD Summit in Washington, D.C. This summit brought together state broadband officials, federal policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss the future of the $42.45 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
With major rule changes recently announced by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the summit served as a timely forum for understanding how states and providers are navigating the evolving landscape. Panelists addressed questions around cost thresholds, fiber prioritization, workforce readiness, and the federal-state dynamic—all centered on the shared goal of accelerating deployment without sacrificing inclusion or long-term performance.
Key Panels and Topics from the Speeding BEAD Summit
The summit included four panels focused on BEAD program policy and implementation:
- Panel 1: How Are States Thinking About Reasonable Costs Now? This panel examined how states are responding to the implications of shifting funding priorities to focus more strongly on lower costs. State broadband staff emphasized that they had already taken effective steps to minimize broadband deployment costs to the BEAD program. Several shared their average costs, high-cost thresholds, and the costs and number of locations that could be served by fiber and other technologies.
- Panel 2: Finding the State Versus Federal Balance in BEAD. This panel discussed changes to the BEAD program’s interactions between federal and state jurisdictions. While NTIA has reduced a number of requirements, other key factors remain. Notably, there has been no change to the legislative directive that states must determine that proposed projects meet not only speed and latency requirements, but also that projects can be “easily scaled” to meet future needs. States are working now to determine what criteria applicants must meet to demonstrate these capabilities.
- Panel 3: Reacting to the New BEAD Notice. Just days before the summit, Secretary Lutnick announced a new Policy Notice that restructured BEAD, with updated timelines, scoring criteria, and a push for “technologically neutral” solutions. This panel discussed how the new Notice compares to program’s original Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and the pros and cons of reduced requirements, the tight 90-day timeline for states to revamp their application process, and other ramifications for states and applicants.
- Panel 4: Building, Maintaining and Adopting Digital Workforce Skills. The final session explored how workforce training programs are essential to successful broadband deployment, especially as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity become more prominent. Panelists considered how BEAD funding might support a full range of digital skills required to maintain infrastructure, serve customers, and ensure meaningful adoption in the communities served.
Mission Broadband’s Takeaways from the Summit
- States face a compressed timeline but see a path forward. State broadband officials expressed concern about the September 4 deadline for conducting a new bidding round and submitting final proposals. Many had already completed or nearly completed their application procedures under the previous guidance. Still, most see a way forward and encourage providers to participate in the new round. More participation, they believe, could lead to stronger outcomes.
- The New Notice reaffirms performance requirements and tempers concerns about satellite favoritism. Although the updated Notice allows for greater participation from fixed wireless and LEO satellite providers, numerous panelists emphasized that the original statutory requirements remain in place. Priority projects must still meet speed and latency thresholds and demonstrate the ability to “easily scale speeds over time” to meet evolving broadband needs.
While the new Notice makes it easier for LEO and fixed wireless to participate, several panelists expressed that these statutory requirements show that initial concerns about the Notice being too favorable to LEO and fixed wireless applicants may be overblown. - BABA enforcement remains inconsistent. Panelists from the Fiber Broadband Association and Nokia raised concerns about how Build America, Buy America (BABA) rules are applied, or not, across technologies. They noted that earlier BABA compliance rules were based on the original NOFO, which presumed fiber to be the predominant technology. Thus, projections were that demand for fiber would be sufficiently robust enough to justify expanded U.S. manufacturing. Now that the program encourages technological neutrality, panelists argued that BABA requirements should be applied more evenly to fixed wireless and LEO technologies as well, something they believe is not happening today.
- Lawmaker responses vary by state. Some members of Congress, including Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN), who served as keynoters at the Summit, expressed support for the new Notice. In contrast, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who addressed the conference via video, was more critical, noting that Nevada was one of three states that had already received final NTIA approval and was preparing to distribute funding. Under the new rules, all states, including Nevada, must conduct another application round under a revised scoring system.
- States say cost-efficiency was already a priority. State offices all felt strongly that they had already taken great strides to keep costs down. They pointed to the total costs and cost-per-location served in their most recent proposals as evidence that they were already prioritizing efficiency.
- Adoption-based reimbursement for LEO recommended by some. Drew Garner of the Benton Institute highlighted that the new Notice allows states to reimburse LEO providers based on adoption rates. He pointed to Maine’s current agreement with Starlink, which generated only a 3 percent take rate, and urged states to consider adoption-based outcomes before awarding BEAD funding. Panelists in later sessions echoed this sentiment.
What’s Next for the BEAD Program?
With the revised Notice now in place, states have until September 4 to complete a new round of competitive bidding and submit final proposals. Many are already adjusting their scoring criteria and outreach strategies to align with the updated rules. As the BEAD program enters this next phase, Mission Broadband continues to support our partners through planning, compliance, and deployment.
Need help navigating the new BEAD landscape? Contact us today.