GAO: FCC broadband mapping accuracy, provider financial sustainability remain challenges for programs like BEAD

Federal broadband programs are facing ongoing challenges in how they identify eligible locations to fund last-mile network deployment and ensure those networks will remain financially sustainable long-term, according to a new U.S. Government Accountability Office report issued Monday.

The report evaluated a total of nine federal broadband programs, specifically looking at how the over $50 billion has been spread from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act across federal agencies for broadband expansion, including the roughly $42 billion for the Broadband Equity, Access and Development (BEAD) program. Specifically, the report evaluated whether the programs are targeting the right unserved or underserved areas and if the networks being funded will remain financially sustainable.

The federal oversight body’s central finding was that while states are receiving these funds for broadband deployment, weaknesses in the FCC’s broadband mapping challenge process could mean some underserved areas aren’t being accurately identified.

Federal agencies, as well as state and local governments, rely on FCC National Broadband Map data to determine what locations are eligible for funding through the program and to plan their broadband grant proposals. To improve data accuracy, the FCC accepts challenges to the data from providers, governments and others. Still, the GAO found that the challenge process can be burdensome and unclear, particularly for smaller communities and providers that don’t have the staff or resources to challenge large numbers of locations.

The GAO also found problems in the broadband map’s underlying data, including missing or unexpected values, with agencies using the data differently. It also found some locations that overlapped for funding eligibility from two different programs, such as the ReConnect program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program. After the GAO raised those concerns, the report explains the FCC changed its quality-assurance process and corrected identified errors.

Another issue the report surfaces is that though BEAD’s intent is to fund networks in places that are difficult and expensive to serve, those networks may face financial sustainability challenges once they’re operating. In October 2025, the NTIA required BEAD providers to certify that they would not take other federal funding for deployment or operating costs for BEAD-funded locations for at least 10 years to ensure those networks become financially self-sustaining. 

The report found that NTIA hasn’t provided guidance to states on when they should check the financial health of BEAD providers or what information they should request. While the NTIA’s guidance says states may have a basis to request some information from providers, it doesn’t clearly establish the circumstances that should trigger such a request. The GAO’s report said clearer guidance could help states identify funding problems before a provider can no longer afford to maintain service.

One positive finding in the report was that the four major agencies — the NTIA, FCC, USDA and Treasury — have improved interagency communication, with agreements in place to coordinate and share information about broadband deployment. These agreements, intended to prevent different federal programs from double-paying for deployment, also help drive coordination across the country because states and territories are now playing a much larger role in distributing federal broadband funding than they did previously.

The report also made specific mention of the broadband programs’ permitting issues that have been widely publicized. It also noted that many agencies have taken steps to address these issues, including efforts to streamline permitting processes and environmental review requirements. 

The GAO made two recommendations — one for the FCC and the other for the NTIA — and both agencies agreed to take steps to implement them. For the FCC, the report recommended the agency conduct targeted outreach to smaller communities, tribal governments and providers to understand and address problems with the broadband-data challenge process.

For the NTIA, the report recommends that the agency give states and territories clearer guidance about when and why they should request additional information from BEAD providers to monitor their financial sustainability.