“You’re not keeping your word”: Louisiana fibre firm rails against Trump govt over BEAD delays

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The CEO of a Louisiana broadband construction firm has called out Donald Trump’s Sec. of Commerce in an open plea for an end to BEAD delays

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

Frustration only continues to grow in rural Louisiana as a result of BEAD delays, as evidenced by the latest plea for action from Caleb Etheridge, the founder and CEO of EPC.

Etheridge’s company, a broadband construction firm in rural North Louisiana, has suffered significantly due to delays to the government’s $42.45 billion broadband buildout, according to the firm’s CEO.

In his letter, the second such plea from EPC in less than a month, Etheridge calls on Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to stop stalling the program, which was created by Congress as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.

‘You’re not keeping your word’

Etheridge says the damaged faced by Lutnick’s delay “will not be reversible.”

Click here to read Etheridge’s full letter to Lutnick

“I’m writing to you now because what’s happening in Washington is actively threatening everything we’ve built,” he writes. “To say it very plainly and remove any inferences, you’re not keeping your word.”

Etheridge’s letter further stated that he’s not writing to complain. Instead, he says he’s writing to warn.

“It’s too late to play political games,” his letter reads. “And if this continues, I will shine an even brighter light on the harm you have caused, along with my federal delegation who nodded in agreement in private rooms but stood silently when it was time to be courageous.”

Etheridge also writes that it’s ironic that Lutnick’s delay is being done in the name of government efficiency.

“This is infrastructure you can see, measure, and audit in real time, and we did it 40% under budget,” he wrote.

The letter also takes aim at the notion that low-Earth orbit satellite is a more suitable replacement for fiber.

“Go tell that to my barber, whose state-of-the-art satellite connection drops and buffers all through the day,” the letter reads. “And, he was the lucky one that had ‘a clear view of the sky’ from his rooftop.”

BEAD delay forces EPC into layoffs

The most recent letter follows up a similar appeal to Lutnick in April.

That letter, penned by EPC co-owner Josh Etheridge, said EPC had already been forced into layoffs due to the delay.

As previously reported, Louisiana has been highly impacted by an ongoing review to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program called by Lutnick.

The review, announced with a statement from Lutnick in March, said the Dept. of Commerce was looking for “ways to cut government red tape that slows down infrastructure construction.”

“In 2021, Congress created the BEAD Program to expand Americans’ access to high-speed internet,” Lutnick previously wrote. “But, years later, because of the prior administration’s woke mandates, favoritism towards certain technologies, and burdensome regulations, the program has not connected a single person to the internet and is in dire need of a readjustment.”

Lutnick, at the time, also said his review intends to result in “ripping out the Biden Administration’s pointless requirements.”

Louisiana bears brunt of BEAD delay

In 2024, Louisiana notably became the first to award BEAD funds through a state program called GUMBO 2.0 (Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities).

It was also the first state to gain approval for their initial BEAD proposal.

As of April, EPC had reported that they’ve had to release 80% of their subcontractors due to the delay. Additionally, the company reported having to make a pause in philanthropic giving and even said full-time employees had begun to face layoffs.

Meanwhile, Etheridge is just the latest company leader from Louisiana to sound the alarm. Previously, the CEO of Louisiana-based SkyRider Communications and David Herring, the founder and CEO of ClearPath Fiber, have also penned similar letters, all calling on Lutnick to end the delay at once.

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Author: Ernestro Casas -

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