Wanna Get An A+ On BEAD? Unit-Level Connectivity For MDUs Is A Must

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outlines specific requirements for states and subgrant recipients to ensure they provide comprehensive broadband service. Specifically, the Program “prioritizes projects designed to provide fiber connectivity directly to the end user.” Providing reliable, high-speed internet to every unit within a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) is implicitly required to meet the goals of the BEAD program. But, it’s not enough to bring fiber to the building if the intended end users, namely households living in the MDU, cannot access the internet. For households living in multi-family and public housing, the inability to connect to reliable, affordable broadband is a significant barrier to fully participating in 21st-century society. Unserved and underserved MDUs often house some of the most vulnerable populations, including low-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. The lack of connectivity exacerbates long-standing inequities in access to education, healthcare, job opportunities and training, and other vital assistance programs. By requiring eligible BEAD subgrantees to demonstrate how their proposals will ensure unit-level connectivity, state broadband offices can directly address the digital divide within these communities and achieve the objectives of the BEAD Program.