When Fiber is Too Expensive for BEAD, NTIA OKs Plans for Wireless, LEO

On January 2, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) published the Final Bead Alternative Broadband Technology Policy Notice to provide additional guidance to states and territories regarding the use of non-fiber technologies to serve unserved and underserved locations through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The BEAD Program is designed to deploy broadband service to all unserved and underserved locations in the U.S. The BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), released in May 2022,  established a hierarchy of technologies for awarding subgrants for Unserved and Underserved Service Projects. The January 2 policy notice outlines the steps states and territories must take when deciding to award BEAD subgrants to non-fiber broadband deployment projects.