Episode 449: Lori Adams Breaks Down the Latest BEAD Policy Changes

In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine is joined by returning guest Lori Adams, Vice President of Broadband Policy and Funding Strategy at Nokia, for a conversation on the evolving BEAD landscape. This episode breaks down the June 2025 policy updates that have reset the BEAD program, including revised tech neutrality standards, rescinded grant awards, and a compressed 90-day reapplication window. Lori shares on-the-ground insight from her travel, highlighting how providers are responding to new “priority broadband project” definitions, what the updated cost-per-location rules mean for fiber, satellite, and fixed wireless proposals, and how Build America, Buy America compliance continues to shape deployment strategies. This conversation also covers AI infrastructure demands, private equity investment trends, and what the second half of 2025 holds for BEAD recipients and broadband strategy at large.