BEAD and Middle Mile: Post-NOFO Updates for Anchor Institutions

We now have rules in hand for two of the highly anticipated broadband programs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure program. The Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for each program answer some of the broadband community’s questions about timing and the application process, but some questions remain open. Will states include anchor institutions in their broadband plans? What do we make of the vague definitions of “remote,” “unserved,” and “underserved”? Will “Build America, Buy America'' requirements delay these critical infrastructure projects? Will Middle Mile applications to NTIA have to reference the broadband maps of unserved/underserved areas? Join SHLB’s next webinar as we tackle these questions and review the NOFOs as they relate to schools, libraries, and other anchor institutions.