State Broadband Leaders Frustrated by Federal Changes to BEAD Program

State broadband representatives expressed frustration about the many recent changes made to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. “This is an infrastructure project, and renting space on satellite is not,” said Christine Hallquist, executive director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, speaking at the AnchorNets2025 conference hosted by the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition. Hallquist said her team has spent long nights fielding repeated questions about Vermont’s BEAD application and facing pressure from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to include satellite coverage.