During remarks at The Hudson Institute, Arielle Roth outlined a new certification requirement that will affect providers receiving BEAD dollars, under the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will now require states to obtain written statements from BEAD providers pledging that they will not seek or accept additional federal subsidies—including operational subsidies—to complete or operate BEAD projects.
“Those unwilling to make that commitment will not get an award,” Roth said, adding that the service areas proposed by non-committed providers would instead go to entities that can deliver results.
Roth argued that insisting on such certifications helps prevent defaults and preserves the integrity of the BEAD selection process, warning that reliance on future subsidies undermines competition and transparency.
She also noted a substantial increase in “skin in the game,” with nearly a 40 percent match to federal BEAD dollars—well above the statutory 25 percent minimum—an indicator NTIA cites to emphasize stronger local engagement in deployments. The comments align with Roth’s March nomination hearing, where she emphasized speed and efficiency in BEAD deployments while signaling nuanced, merit-based funding decisions, rooted in her prior work on broadband policy for Sen. Ted Cruz.
