Delivering on BEAD’s Promise to Connect America

Delivering on BEAD's Promise to Connect America

by Lance West, Executive Vice President of Federal Government Affairs, Comcast Corporation

Highlights:

• $80B: Invested $80 billion over the last 10 years in our fiber-rich network and infrastructure

• 1.25M: Extended network to over 1.25 million new homes and businesses in 2025

• 34: Comcast is proud to be a BEAD awardee across 34 states

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is the largest federal broadband investment program in U.S. history, designed to connect Americans to the power of high-speed Internet.

BEAD represents a once-in-a-generation investment of over $42 billion, uniting federal funding, state leadership, local coordination, and industry expertise to deliver transformational connectivity for unserved communities.

Rural Americans have waited too long for this.

Now, after careful planning, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the majority of states' funding proposals. Comcast is proud to be a BEAD awardee across 34 states. We are now in the execution phase, ready to deliver on the promise of BEAD.

In 2026, policy meets reality.

The most difficult work begins now. Across the country, states implementing BEAD have identified several common challenges, and some solutions, at this phase that can affect broadband deployment timelines-most notably permitting, pole attachments, and access to easements.

• Permitting: Major infrastructure projects like broadband builds often require navigating hundreds of state and local permits, each with its own process and timeline which can vary widely across jurisdictions, and even within the same state. A recent McKinsey analysis found that the average permitting time is 4-5 years for broadband and telecom projects. Rural communities often lack dedicated staffing for permitting review. Communities that have implemented broadband-ready practices-such as online permitting, clear review timelines, and single points of contact-have seen more predictable outcomes and fewer downstream delays.

• Pole Attachments: Building out a fiber-first network to new communities often requires attaching cables to existing utility poles. The condition and ownership of these poles often determine construction sequencing and cost. Virtually every state identified poles as a possible barrier to deployment in its 5-year action plan. While there is no nationwide estimate for poles that need to be replaced or restored, one recent report found that more than 12% of just one electric utility's poles required repair or replacement. Some states have responded with pole replacement or hardening programs or worked to provide further funding for undergrounding to help address these constraints and keep projects moving.

• Easements and Rights-of-Way: In many rural areas, access to private property or unclear easement authority has become a critical barrier to connecting new homes and businesses. States that have engaged communities early in the process to educate property owners on the build and obtain easements for access have helped reduce uncertainty and accelerate deployment.

Surplus funds can help overcome these obstacles.

Nearly half of the congressionally approved $42.5 billion for BEAD - about $21 billion - remains unspent. These reserve funds can now be strategically deployed to help overcome critical barriers to broadband deployment, with far-reaching benefits to communities beyond the BEAD build.

Putting these taxpayers dollars to use to expedite deployment of high-speed Internet is the fastest, most effective way for us to collectively deliver on the promise of BEAD. Alternate proposals for surplus funds, including deployment of commercial cell towers, risk wasting taxpayer dollars and detracting from our shared mission to overcome barriers to rural broadband deployment and connect Americans to affordable, reliable, secure Internet.