Illinois BEAD Progress

On the BEAD front, Illinois has completed the review of all qualifying Wave 1 applications and is moving into the deconfliction phase. “Deconfliction” is the process of de-scoping applications that overlap with higher scoring proposals. As Illinois enters the deconfliction phase, approximately 100 applications are tentatively eligible for preliminary award, and another 95 will have the opportunity to submit deconflicted proposals before the end of Wave 1. All preliminarily awarded projects will be notified by mid-May. The early outcomes of Wave 1 are promising: In just this initial batch of qualifying projects, Illinois can cover more than 37% of eligible locations with fiber using less than 37% of its BEAD allocation. By design, this batch also includes over 20% of the state’s hardest to serve locations — a focal point of Wave 1 and a unique aspect of Illinois’ BEAD program. Following deconfliction, the set of preliminary awards could grow to cover up to 65% of eligible locations. The final count of preliminarily awarded projects and budget allocation will be determined following completion of the deconfliction phase. On digital equity, merit review of the 100+ Illinois Digital Equity Capacity (IDEC) grant applications is in progress. Following scoring, Illinois will submit a Specific Projects Form with proposed awardees to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for final approval.