More Than 40 Lawmakers Urge Lutnick to Reverse New BEAD Guidance

More Than 40 Lawmakers Urge Lutnick to Reverse New BEAD Guidance

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2025 – More than 40 lawmakers urged Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Wednesday to reverse the agency’s new rules for its $42.45 billion broadband expansion program.“We fear this opportunity would be squandered by the restructuring notice and its changes to coverage, quality, and affordability,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Lutnick. “We therefore urge you to implement the BEAD program in accordance with the best readin…

The New BEAD Map Challenge

Perhaps the most unusual element of the new BEAD guidelines is a requirement that BEAD not be used for ‘overbuilding’. The new rules allow an ISP using unlicensed spectrum to stake a claim for areas it already serves and remove those areas from the BEAD map. Judging if a WISP is really offering service that is considered as served for BEAD is complicated and involves multiple factors. First is speed. There are WISPs that have invested in new rad…