States must consider future of broadband offices

States continue to make headway on the implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a $42 billion federal initiative to connect all Americans to high-speed internet. As state broadband offices (SBOs) collaborate with other government agencies, internet service providers (ISPs), and communities to meet BEAD’s rapid four-year construction deadlines, state lawmakers should ensure that SBOs continue to have sufficient authority and capacity to effectively use BEAD funds and address statewide connectivity needs.

In some states, policymakers will need to consider eliminating SBO “sunset” dates so that the offices do not shut down before their work is done. Policymakers often appropriately use “sunset” dates to ensure that government functions do not persist beyond their intended purpose—but the work required of SBOs will continue for years.

Some states might also consider authorizing their SBOs to conduct activities alongside BEAD. For example, Andrew Butcher, the president of Maine’s SBO, testified before the state Legislature in October 2025 that his office’s authority to collect data from ISPs is an “essential tool” for infrastructure mapping, understanding pricing, and tracking market-specific financial needs to guide the state’s planning around connectivity.

The Role of State Broadband Offices

As with many state agencies, the structure and capacity of broadband offices vary across states. Generally, the core functions of SBOs include:

• Serve as the centralized entity responsible for setting broadband goals and leading statewide planning.
• Design, administer, and oversee broadband programs, including competitive grants for state and some federal programs, such as BEAD.
• Collect, manage, and analyze broadband data and mapping to inform policy and investment decisions.
• Coordinate across state agencies and with federal, Tribal, local, and private partners to align broadband activities.
• Provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to communities, ISPs, and other stakeholders.

Over the past six years, states have established and expanded their broadband offices amid an unprecedented influx of federal funding for connectivity from BEAD, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and other federal programs established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pew Charitable Trusts has found that states that have invested in their broadband offices are better equipped to develop connectivity solutions to meet the specific needs of their communities and providers. Other research has shown that these states also tend to have more fiber networks in rural areas and higher rates of private sector competition.

BEAD projects that begin construction in 2026 are likely to have project completion deadlines in 2030 or 2031, with ongoing monitoring requirements through 2040 or later. Many state officials are already planning for these long-term needs and how their SBOs will respond. At an April 2026 convening, SBO leaders from Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico described how their offices would shift focus or implement new programs to meet their states’ priorities. In Texas, those priorities include continuing over the next decade to administer state funds that will benefit the state’s BEAD projects, such as workforce development programs and additional network infrastructure. Colorado is considering restarting its state grant program to fund projects in communities that lack service but were not eligible for funding under BEAD’s rules. New Mexico officials noted that their office would expand its work on adoption and affordability as deployment projects enable increased household access to high-speed networks.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Commerce Department agency that administers BEAD, is responsible for ensuring that states implement BEAD funds in accordance with federal statute and program rules. States, in turn, are responsible for overseeing ISPs that receive BEAD awards and demonstrating ongoing compliance to NTIA. The effect is that states, not ISPs, remain accountable to the federal government for the duration of the program, and SBOs play a central role in that accountability process.

Sunsetting Amid Federal Deadlines

Despite these longer-term obligations, several states included sunset provisions in the authorizing statutes for their SBOs. These sunset provisions have taken several forms. For example, the broadband offices in Pennsylvania and Montana are set to terminate when they have expended their federal funds. In Alaska, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, and Oklahoma, state broadband offices and programs have sunset dates between 2027 and 2030, regardless of the status of their programs. The Vermont SBO is required to present a report to the state Legislature by 2029 on whether to sunset its operations later that year. Similarly, the Maine office is required to present recommendations to the state Legislature to consolidate its current statutory authority by 2027 and, separately, to submit a report on whether the office should sunset by 2030.

If left unaddressed, these timelines could prevent SBOs from fulfilling BEAD’s requirements and put their states’ federal funding at risk. With $42 billion at stake, state lawmakers should carefully consider any sunset dates and avoid eliminating offices that are essential to the successful implementation of these federal funds.

Further, state legislatures should ensure that their SBOs have the funding and authority to meet the monitoring requirements established in BEAD’s authorizing legislation and NTIA’s funding guidance. In states that rely on federal money to authorize or fund their SBOs, legislatures should also consider whether additional state resources and authorization is necessary to ensure consistent state oversight until SBO work is complete. Data collection authority, staff capacity, and other additional resources may help guarantee that communities continue receiving the broadband connections delivered via BEAD.

Removing or, at a minimum, extending sunset provisions represents an important step in ensuring the continuity of SBO offices during this critical period. However, additional action by state lawmakers may be required, including legislation addressing the opportunities and challenges that SBOs have identified during years of preparations for BEAD and through recent experience implementing their state and ARPA broadband deployment programs. For example, a 2022 budget bill in Virginia charged the office with new data collection and mapping responsibilities and required providers to submit annual service territory data updates. In 2024, Louisiana’s Legislature expanded the SBO’s authority to include preventing damage to underground utilities during construction projects. In 2025, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, and West Virginia updated rules governing the broadband construction process to set new timelines and fee structures for permit applications.

Legislators in several states have introduced bills in 2026 to address sunset provisions and explore how SBOs might change in coming years. For example, lawmakers in Oklahoma and Missouri introduced bills to extend sunset dates until at least 2030. Legislators in Rhode Island and Maryland considered bills requiring their offices to study new oversight responsibilities, such as the monitoring of outages and pricing. While these bills have yet to pass, they demonstrate that lawmakers are aware of the risk of closing down their SBOs—as well as the opportunity to leverage their expertise.

The BEAD program is a long-term federal investment, and states remain accountable to the federal government for its implementation well beyond the construction phase of funded projects. Sunset provisions that terminate SBOs before these obligations conclude are misaligned with BEAD’s design and oversight requirements. Ensuring the continuity and full operating capacity of SBOs is a necessary step to meet federal standards, safeguard public funds, and support continued progress toward universal broadband access.

Kathryn de Wit is the project director of and Jake Varn is an officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ broadband access initiative.