The Biden administration’s handling of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program exemplifies why Americans turned to Donald Trump to be their president: big promises, bureaucratic bloat, and little to show for either. This presents an opportunity for Trump to deliver what others only promise.

For its first three years, BEAD did little more than swell the ranks of government employment. It wasn’t until January 2025 that the Biden administration finally approved a state proposal for BEAD funds to build networks. Over half of the states aren’t even close to receiving their approvals.

The Trump administration can deliver by deregulating this cumbersome program. A model of reform is Louisiana, where Governor Jeff Landry has offered pragmatic solutions. Trump’s team, however, should aim even higher.

In his April 2021 address to Congress, former President Biden promised to connect “every American with high-speed internet.” That commitment, repeated later in the year, centered on BEAD, a program created in November 2021 by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). IIJA tasked the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) with overseeing BEAD while leaving states to distribute funds to broadband providers.

Despite the grand vision and commitments of billions of dollars, by the time the 2024 election season rolled around, no broadband infrastructure had been built under the program. Exasperated voters were right to ask why.

The answer lies in BEAD’s overly complex structure. The IIJA deliberately made BEAD overly complex, but Biden’s team took this a step further. Biden’s NTIA expanded its workforce by one-third in its first year, issued numerous detailed policy directives (many of which exceeded the IIJA’s provisions), created needless red tape, and dragged out its review processes. States eager to get broadband projects underway found themselves hamstrung by federal micromanagement.

Yet Louisiana offers a blueprint for delivering on BEAD’s promises. The state moved faster than any other, becoming the first to secure NTIA approvals and announce awardees, as well as the first to implement programs under the American Rescue Plan. It chose a market-oriented strategy that allows providers to design economically viable service areas while competing aggressively for BEAD funding. This approach saved money, enabling the state to invest in initiatives that help residents make the most of their broadband access.

Landry’s recommendations to the Trump administration are rooted in this experience. He proposes freeing states from NTIA’s costly technology mandates, such as restrictions on using low earth orbit satellites. He suggests giving states flexibility in ensuring broadband affordability for low-income households and the financial viability of providers. He also advocates for streamlining labor, reporting and federal review requirements, while reducing regulatory burdens tied to cybersecurity, climate, and supply chain considerations.

These proposals are a great starting point, but the Trump administration should go further. The IIJA explicitly mandates that BEAD be technology-neutral. The administration should follow the law by eliminating all NTIA-imposed technology restrictions.

Because the legislation prohibits NTIA from setting prices, Trump’s team should remove constraints on pricing for low-income households. States should instead demonstrate affordability by boosting broadband adoption rates among low-income residents—through whatever means they find effective. To further accelerate deployment, Trump’s NTIA should allow states to adopt any BEAD practices already approved for others, enabling them to quickly pivot when circumstances change or initial plans falter.

Most Republicans were rightly skeptical of the IIJA’s bureaucratic tendencies, and Trump himself questioned it. However, with BEAD now in implementation phases, the new administration’s best option is to cut all remaining red tape and unleash state innovation, thus delivering on the promise of universal broadband.

By stripping away unnecessary regulations and empowering states, the Trump administration can ensure that BEAD lives up to its potential, delivering high-speed internet to millions of Americans.

It’s time to ditch the bureaucracy and let states lead, held accountable by their voters rather than federal bureaucracy.

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