Nathan Smith

On January 13, 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced its approval of Louisiana’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal. Delaware’s approval followed the next day. With those two landmarks, coming as the fourth year since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) begins to elapse, the BEAD program is at last beginning to bear fruit.

On November 18, 2024, Louisiana’s Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity (also known as ConnectLA) posted its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal for public comment, which was an historic achievement. Not only did Louisiana finish months ahead of other states, but it appears to have achieved the BEAD program’s objective of getting on a track for universal broadband coverage—and overwhelmingly by means of projects that will use best-in-class, end-to-end f

The largest-ever federal broadband expansion program—Broadband Equity, Access and Development or BEAD—was passed in November 2021 but is only now really starting to hit its stride. No one has been connected to broadband by BEAD, nor have any BEAD funds been awarded to any internet service provider (ISP) for expansion purposes. But they will come soon.

As the three-year anniversary of the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act approaches on November 15, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program hasn’t connected anyone yet, but a lot is in motion. Application windows are open. Louisiana is ahead of the game and should complete its subgrantee selection soon. Some states, though, will need extended time.

On November 15, 2021, U.S. Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which created the Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) program. BEAD’s $42.45 billion budget makes it the largest federal broadband deployment program to date.