Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

My answer to “who should build broadband networks” has always started with what should be obvious: Usually, the deployer with the lowest cost of capital. But technology and the $42.25 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program and other funding mechanisms have warped the equation. What are your community’s options? What are the deployer options?

Texas’ Broadband Development Office Director Greg Conte explains why $3.3 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding might not be as appealing as it sounds. “Receiving $3.3 billion is great, but with that comes a lot of responsibility, said Conte. “There’s a lot of attention on Texas as we have a significant amount of unserved and under-served homes, businesses, community anchor institutions.

In 2024, the first Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants will go out — an ambitious $42 billion in subsidies to build broadband infrastructure to close America’s digital divide. While excited and hopeful, I’m not alone in worrying that there is a significant gap between BEAD’s ambition and what it will likely deliver. BEAD alone is not enough. Here are five reasons why:

I often describe NTIA as a ‘small but mighty’ agency. We lived up to that moniker in 2023, making considerable progress in our work to close the digital divide, build a better Internet at home and abroad, and support U.S. wireless innovation and leadership. NTIA hit major milestones in 2023, including:

I’m working with several small cities that were recently notified that the existing cable company plans to upgrade its network. In these cities, the cable company still operates a DOCSIS 3.0 network. The networks have download speeds a little faster than 100 Megabits per second (Mbps), and upload speeds are under 10 Mbps. These cities are currently considered to be underserved and are eligible for BEAD grants. I talked to the State Broadband Offices in several states about the issue of announced upgrades coming just in front of the final BEAD map challenges.

The North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity developed the North Carolina draft Digital Equity Plan. This plan is a comprehensive strategy that aims to ensure all individuals and communities have access to the digital tools, resources, and skills they need to participate fully in the digital environment.

As the curtain begins to rise on the prospect of $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) deployments, many are looking ahead to see what the historic investment will mean for broadband expansion. But before we turn our gaze toward the future, let's pause and reflect on the fiber milestones achieved thus far. A November 2023 analysis from New Street Research revealed that the telecommunications industry collectively increased fiber locations by 1.8 million in the third quarter of this year, with “most of the increase driven by AT&T.”

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

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) met virtually with Federal Communications Commission staff on December 21, 2023 to discuss the Section 706 Report Notice of Inquiry. NTIA expressed its strong support for the FCC’s important work to assess whether broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion, and offered its assistance as the FCC works to identify appropriate methodologies and data sources for use in conducting this assessment.

The Federal Communications Commission hereby defers the commencement of the next five-year deployment obligation term for legacy rate-of-return carriers receiving Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support in 2024 until January 1, 2025, while it considers general program reforms in the ongoing Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proceeding.