Majority of BEAD money may not hit until 2026

When will the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) money start flowing? Most states have had their Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 processes approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), according to NTIA’s Progress Dashboard. Vol. 1 is focused on the mapping challenge process, and Vol. 2 consists of the remainder of the state’s BEAD implementation plan. Yet, the wait continues. Jade Piros de Carvalho, VP of Broadband Advocacy and Partnerships at Bonfire said "I think the majority of this funding will hit the streets in 2026;." The fact that the goal posts seem to keep moving further away is disappointing to many who are anxious for BEAD to start awarding subgrantees. But NTIA says it is moving as fast as it can.