The NTIA’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program has $42.5 billion of funding to support deployment of high-speed Internet access facilities to unserved and underserved households (“locations”) across the US.
The NTIA allocated funding by State, directing each State to develop a plan to use the funding and to then award it competitively to entities (“sub-grantees”) that would ultimately build the facilities. All State proposals were submitted to the NTIA by December 2023.
The BEAD program is building momentum. Recognizing the scope of the investment required and the objective of building quickly, on February 23, 2024 the Commerce Department issued a waiver that will help ensure that BEAD sub-grantees have access to the manufactured products necessary to meet the goals of the program.
LYA’s has been analyzing the approach to the BEAD program State by State. This Report illustrates differences by State and provides initial thoughts on implications for sub-grantee applications. The sections of this Report focus on how different States treat: (1) timing and geographic areas for award, (2) applicant project proposal scoring, and (3) different technology options (i.e. fiber versus fixed wireless).
The Report includes a summary of key parameters for six States that were included in LYA’s initial analysis: California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. LYA is also reviewing the application process for subgrantees in other States across the country. LYA has supported clients in successfully obtaining subsidy for broadband deployment in application-based processes such as are planned by the States assessed, as well as in reverse auction processes, including the FCC’s 2021 RDOF auction.
Please download a copy of our c-Ahead Report – March 2024 – on the BEAD opportunity by filling out the form below, and to opt in to our mailing list (you can opt out any time).
