Here's what happened with BEAD in 2023

Broadband funding really got rolling in 2023, as the federal government began the process of its $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. To help states and territories with their challenge process, in April, National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) released draft guidance that expands upon the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued in May 2022. States got their BEAD allocations, with the highest funding amounts going to Texas ($3.31 billion), California ($1.86 billion), Missouri ($1.74 billion), Michigan ($1.56 billion) and North Carolina ($1.53 billion). Naturally, the BEAD funds come with some strings attached. One of which is the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA), which requires that fiber networks funded by BEAD must use components that are at least 55% made in America. In response to industry criticism that it’s difficult to source some components in the US, NTIA proposed waivers for some recipients. In November, NTIA released a waiver for BEAD’s letter of credit requirement. In December, Louisiana was the first state to snag approval for its initial proposal.