State-by-State BEAD Bids Reveal Varying Degrees of ISP Participation

As state application windows continue to close for the $42.45 billion Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program, a divide has emerged in provider participation. While some states have seen an influx of applications from internet service providers, others have drawn only a handful. Arkansas received bids to cover 96 percent of its BEAD-eligible locations, but Massachusetts, so far, has received just five applications proposing to reach about 50 percent of locations. Meanwhile, New Hampshire, Maine, and Colorado have drawn bids to cover 55 percent, 79 percent, and over 90 percent of eligible locations, respectively.