If you are in a location which defaulted on an RDOF grant after June 6, 2025, you are out of luck for BEAD funding. So said NTIA Chief of Staff Brooke Donilon to attendees at this week’s Mountain West Conference. This applies to hundreds of locations nationwide, but Donilon offered that “at some point we just had to draw the line and get to the ‘Benefit of the Bargain’ program.” In other BEAD news, the latest FAQ from NTIA makes it crystal clear that if a state attempts to set rates for low-income individuals (even if required under state law), its final proposal will be rejected.