Montana First in Nation to Open BEAD Portal

Gov Greg Gianforte (R-MT) announced that the State of Montana will be the first state in the nation to open its Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) application portal. On August 1, Gov. Gianforte announced the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) had given final approval to Montana’s BEAD proposal, allocating nearly $629 million to increase the state’s connectivity. Those interested may submit main-round applications to the Montana Broadband Office’s ConnectMT portal beginning August 13, 2024. The close date for applications will remain October 15, 2024.