1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

As your constituent and as a digital-equity practitioner, I ask you to act to restore the flexibility Congress built into the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) decision to block BEAD funds for non-deployment uses risks leaving tens of thousands of New Yorkers disconnected even after new broadband lines are in the ground. New York has one of the nation’s most ambitious digital-equity efforts, led by the ConnectALL Office. Its plan relies on BEAD’s full flexibility to fund programs that help residents actually use the internet—especially in regions like Western New York, the North Country, and the Southern Tier, where digital-skills training and device access remain serious barriers. Congress designed BEAD, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to do more than build networks. It aimed to ensure that every American—regardless of income, age, or ability—can benefit from them. The statute and NTIA’s original guidance allowed states to apply remaining funds after build-out to digital-skills training, device access, navigator programs, and affordability initiatives. In June 2025, NTIA reversed course, rescinding approval for new non-deployment activities and directing states to remove them from their BEAD proposals. This decision rewrites Congress’s intent and undermines the $42.45 billion public investment taxpayers made to close the digital divide. Broadband that reaches a home but not the person inside is a bridge to nowhere. If this policy remains in place, the consequences for New York will be predictable and costly. Older adults will remain unable to access telehealth. Veterans and people with disabilities will lose the navigators who help them claim benefits. Low-income families will have connections but not affordable devices or the skills to use them. Rural and multilingual communities—from the Adirondacks to Buffalo—will fall further behind as trusted local programs lose funding. I urge you to: 1. Press NTIA to restore non-deployment funding flexibility and uphold Congress’s intent. 2. Publicly affirm that BEAD funds were meant to support adoption and equity, not infrastructure alone. 3. Pursue Congressional oversight to ensure NTIA’s policy complies with the statute. Each week of inaction means more New York communities cut off from opportunity. Please help finish the job Congress started.