NRECA: 9 of 62 electric co-ops have dropped out of BEAD over pole attachment rules

NRECA CEO Jim Matheson told Telecompetitor that of the 62 electric cooperatives that initially qualified for BEAD funding, nine have since dropped out, citing a mix of frustrations including delays, rising costs, and new pole attachment requirements. Under NTIA's revised BEAD terms, a cooperative that accepts BEAD funding for any part of its territory becomes subject to FCC pole attachment rates across its entire service area, a reversal of the long-standing federal exemption for electric co-ops.