A Senate Republican has drafted legislation that would effectively cut a $42 billion broadband deployment program in half.
The bill would complement the Trump administration overhaul of the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The administration required states to rewrite their grant plans, reducing the overall projected spending and diverting some of the money from fiber projects to satellite.
The result is that over $21 billion is projected to be left over after money is allocated to projects that expand broadband access. Current US law allows nondeployment funds to be used for other broadband-related purposes, like providing Wi-Fi and Internet-capable devices to US residents. But a draft bill by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) would change the law to redirect all the remaining money to the US Treasury for deficit reduction.