Missouri Receives 519 BEAD Program Applications in Round One

The Missouri Office of Broadband Development announced that the year’s first round of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding is closed. During this initial round, OBD received a total of 519 applications, which would bring broadband to more than 192,000 of the state’s residents and businesses. OBD said this represents 90 percent of the locations eligible for the funding. Nearly $4 million in funding was requested. The next step will be for OBD to review those applications. OBD advised applicants to be prepared to participate in the best-and-final offer process, for which the top two submitted scores for an application area are eligible. OBD is also in the process of determining the areas which will be eligible for the second round of Missouri BEAD grant applications.