House Small Business Committee hearing spotlights BEAD changes and urges fiber-first approach for rural broadband

The House Committee on Small Business held a congressional hearing titled “Wired for Growth: How expanding broadband can revitalize rural small businesses” to examine rural broadband deployment, federal funding priorities and obstacles to building and sustaining service.

The session featured testimony from rural broadband providers and small-business users who urged Congress and federal agencies to prioritize fiber-optic infrastructure in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, address mapping inaccuracies and permitting delays, and modernize the Universal Service Fund (USF) to sustain long-term operations.

Why it matters: Witnesses said technology choices and administrative rules in federal grant programs will determine whether areas now unserved receive long-lived, scalable networks or shorter-term fixes that may not meet future needs. Broadband decisions affect farms, small businesses, telehealth and education in large parts of rural America.

Christy Westbrock, CEO and general manager of Consolidated Telecommunications Company (CTC), told the committee that grants alone do not sustain networks and described specific BEAD funding she expects CTC to receive. "CTC is expected to receive approximately $20,000,000 of the BEAD funding along with our members' capital investment of $6,000,000 to build out 2,209 locations with 35 of those being small businesses," Westbrock said.

Jimmy Todd, chief executive officer and general manager of Nextech, described fiber as a "generational investment" and urged federal programs to favor long-lived technologies. "Fiber is the preference... it's a generational investment," Todd testified, adding that fiber supports agriculture technologies, telehealth and other high-bandwidth uses over decades.

Karen Jackson Furman, CEO of West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative (WK&T), described operational reliance on the USF and federal grant programs and urged that affordability remain part of any modernization. "The Affordable Connectivity Program definitely helped people connect...and now that it's gone, they've been disconnected in many cases," Jackson Furman said, noting USF subsidies and grant programs have been critical to sustaining rural operations.

Witnesses and members debated a recent federal policy shift that removed an explicit BEAD preference for fiber and opened awards to satellite and other technologies. Multiple witnesses said satellite has a role in very remote or mobile scenarios but argued that satellite and some fixed wireless technologies cannot match fiber's speed, capacity and long-term scalability.

Committee members and witnesses identified recurring obstacles that delay or reduce the effectiveness of federal broadband investments:

- Mapping inaccuracies: Providers said federal and state maps overreport coverage by census block, leaving many homes and businesses labeled "served" when they are not. Westbrock testified that overreporting frequently misdirects grant funds and prevents providers from qualifying to build to those locations.

- Permitting and construction-season timing: Several witnesses said permitting delays and protracted environmental or soil reviews can push construction out of narrow seasonal windows in northern states, increasing costs and delaying completion for a year or more.

- Funding design and sustainability: Witnesses urged Congress to modernize USF funding mechanisms so the program remains predictable for multi-decade infrastructure investments and recommended preserving programs that support ongoing operations and affordability.

Throughout the hearing members offered bipartisan support for addressing these problems. Ranking Member Velasquez emphasized BEAD's scale and the need for government spending to fill market gaps; other members questioned program administration and urged stronger accountability for firms that receive federal funds but fail to complete builds.

The hearing included several concrete examples intended to show economic impact of reliable broadband: Nextech’s account of a dairy operation that uses fiber to manage equipment and livestock, and WK&T’s description of poultry barns and online academic programs that rely on continuous fiber service. Witnesses also described workforce development efforts such as registered apprenticeship programs tied to broadband construction.

No formal votes or binding committee actions were taken during the hearing. Members and witnesses primarily advanced recommendations for policy changes and oversight, including clearer mapping enforcement, permitting streamlining, and USF modernization.

The committee concluded with members reserving five legislative days for additional materials and the hearing was adjourned.