U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R) has successfully secured funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The NTIA has formally approved Texas' plan to deploy more than $1.2 billion in federal funding to achieve universal high-speed internet access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
The decision marks a major step toward closing the state's digital divide, with hundreds of thousands of rural Texans set to gain reliable connectivity for the first time.
Sen. Cruz, who played a central role in overseeing the BEAD program through the Senate Commerce Committee, said his efforts helped eliminate wasteful spending and refocus the program's mission.
"My work on the Commerce Committee to hold the BEAD program accountable has spared taxpayers from paying for internet to mansions and vacation islands while still securing over $1 billion in funding for Texas," said Cruz. "By refocusing the program on its core mission of digital connection, instead of the Biden administration's costly and burdensome regulation, we have freed states like Texas to responsibly use this money to expand internet access to rural communities."'
According to NTIA's approval, the BEAD funding will help connect nearly 243,000 unserved and underserved homes and businesses across Texas. The plan includes fiber installations for approximately 123,000 locations, low-earth-orbit satellite service for roughly 66,000 locations, and fixed wireless solutions for approximately 54,000 sites.
Texas' push for a more efficient BEAD program accelerated under the Trump administration, reducing regulatory hurdles, lowering costs, and ensuring multiple technologies could be used to reach remote communities.
In 2024, Cruz demanded NTA halt what he called "unlawful BEAD activities," citing excessive mandates that slowed progress while failing to connect a single household.
His concerns heightened after NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson acknowledged that $250 million in BEAD funds had been used to hire staff and contractors without delivering internet service to any Americans.
As the incoming Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Cruz has pledged to continue investigating NTIA. In the meantime, Texas's approved BEAD plan opens the door to the largest rural internet expansion in state history.
