Never mind questions about BEAD, industry leaders are saying USF and permitting issues are even bigger barriers, as reported by Broadband Breakfast…

Despite much attention Wednesday to whether and how the $42.5 billion BEAD program will change under the Trump administration, industry executives warned House lawmakers at a hearing that two other challenges may pose a greater long-term threat to rural broadband deployment.

Even if BEAD were fixed overnight, the uncertain future for the Universal Service Fund and bureaucratic permitting hurdles could stall or kill rural deployment, executives from independent and wireless groups warned during Wednesday’s House Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing.

“If USF went away completely, then we would quickly have very negative operating income,” said Greg Hale, CEO of LTC Connect, a rural broadband cooperative in Kentucky.