WASHINGTON, August 19, 2025 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has released new guidance for its largest broadband deployment program.
Directed towards internet service providers participating in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, the new guidance does not impose additional requirements on ISPs, nor does it modify the program. Rather, its purpose is to clarify existing requirements, and provide examples of best practices that service providers can follow.
Released Monday, the guide is broken into three sections: network capabilities, deployment requirements, and service obligations.
The Network Capabilities section includes guidance on speed and latency, reliability and resilience, and network outages. It suggests that providers schedule maintenance during off-peak hours, and establish a rapid response protocol to respond to network outages.
The Deployment Requirements section includes guidance on deployment deadlines and benchmarks, conduit access points, and covered purchases. It includes best practices for reporting network deployment progress to state officials, and notes that waivers can be granted, though “there should not be an expectation that they will be granted.”
The Service Obligations section includes guidance on low-cost plans, access to service, use of funds, public notice, and cybersecurity and supply chain risk management. It encourages providers to deploy a threat detection system that monitors network traffic “continuously,” and instructs providers to use a variety of communication channels to inform as broad of an audience as possible about the services they provide.
The guidance comes as states, territories, and Washington D.C. are preparing to submit their BEAD final proposals to the NTIA. Those final proposals will include details on what service areas each provider will serve and how much funding they will receive to serve those areas. They are due Sept. 4, although one state or territory has already submitted its final proposal to the NTIA.