State Broadband Officers Still Face Delays in BEAD Approval, Implementation

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2026 — State broadband officers reported Wednesday that federal approval bottlenecks are still threatening to delay deployment of billions of dollars in broadband infrastructure funding, even as most states have cleared initial regulatory hurdles.

Five of the seven state officials participating in a Broadband Breakfast panel said they have received approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for their Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program plans.

But only Texas and North Dakota had secured the required financial approval from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Broadband Breakfast on January 21, 2026 - State BEAD RoundtableState broadband offices are now deep into BEAD implementation.Broadband BreakfastBroadband Breakfast

NIST approval at issue

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