[NEW:]Arielle Roth’s appointment to lead the NTIA indicates a likely move away from the fiber-focused BEAD initiative.

President Donald Trump has nominated Arielle Roth, telecom director for Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). If confirmed, Roth would oversee federal broadband policy, including the $42.5 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program—an initiative she has sharply criticized for its regulatory overreach and fiber favoritism. Roth outlined her concerns …