Uniform Guidance in the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), enacted in November 2021, supplies funding for robust investment in American infrastructure projects. The IIJA includes the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which provides $42.45 billion of funding to achieve reliable, affordable, and universal high-speed Internet coverage throughout the United States. The US Department of Commerce, in keeping with its mission to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities, is ready to lead the building of equitable access to high-speed Internet coverage in the United States. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as the agency responsible for administering the BEAD program, provides guidance on the implementation of exceptions, adjustments, and clarifications to certain provisions of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). The Uniform Guidance provides specific guidance on:

• Scope and Applicability
• Program Income
• Fixed amount subawards and cost principles
• Procurement Standards for Fixed Amount Subawards
• Property Standards for Fixed Amount Subawards