Indy Standard

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) have called on Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, to remove what they describe as unnecessary regulations from the Biden administration that are affecting the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The program aims to expand internet access to rural and underserved communities in America.

In their request, the senators expressed concerns that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the Biden administration had imposed regulations that were seen as barriers to efficient broadband deployment. "Specifically, NTIA ignored congressional direction and acted inconsistently with its statutory authority in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), filling the program with onerous regulations that prevented the quick, efficient deployment of broadband and resulted in not a single household being connected to the internet," they stated.

The senators believe that removing these barriers could help the program achieve its mission, ensuring taxpayer dollars are used effectively. "Under your leadership, the BEAD program can finally fulfill its long overdue mission and ensure taxpayer dollars are not spent funding extraneous, burdensome regulations," they wrote to Secretary Lutnick.

Other senators, including Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), also signed the letter. They urged the removal of specific program components, such as restrictive labor requirements and provisions favoring government-owned networks, which they argue, disadvantage rural areas and contradict congressional intent for technological neutrality. Additionally, they criticized efforts to regulate broadband rates despite prohibitions in the IIJA and pointed out that climate change mandates had further diverted the program’s focus.

The letter also references a statement by the former Director of the BEAD program, acknowledging that previous requirements were "inserted by the prior administration for messaging/political purposes" and that they were "never central to the mission of the program."

The senators emphasized that removing these obstacles would allow states to collaborate effectively with broadband providers, accelerating deployment to reach unserved and underserved communities.