Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will provide funding to the State of Wisconsin to expand high speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs. Wisconsin’s vision is that all Wisconsinites will have equitable access to affordable broadband service and the capacity to fully engage in a digital society. High-speed internet will benefit all residents and communities.

South Carolina is excited to utilize the approximately $551 million of its allocated Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding to take the next steps to improve access to high-speed broadband across the state and has articulated its vision, goals, strategies, and other relevant information in this Five-Year Action Plan to describe both what the State of South Carolina intends to accomplish and how it intends to do so.

North Carolina’s five-year action plan for the state’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funding has been approved by both the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The  Division of Broadband and Digital Equity made the draft plan available for public comment earlier in summer 2

The Kansas Office of Broadband Development submitted the state’s comprehensive Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan (FYAP) to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

In the coming years, Pennsylvania will receive more than $1 billion in federal funding to bring high-speed internet access to everyone in the state. It’s a historic opportunity and a serious challenge, according to a new plan from the state Broadband Development Authority that outlines how it will accomplish that goal over the next five years.

Municipal leaders are on the front lines of the digital divide, responding to the needs and concerns of the communities they serve.

There are several states already estimating that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant funding is not going to be enough money to reach all of their unserved and underserved areas. California, New Mexico, and Minnesota have estimated that BEAD will fall short. By the time the dust settles there will likely be more states. I’m not surprised by this. Just since the BEAD grant program was enacted by the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (IIJA) in November 2021, there have been some significant cost increases for building broadband networks.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2 for a public comment window.

ConnectLA published the second volume of Louisiana’s draft Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, and is asking for feedback from the public. Louisiana received more than $1.35 billion from the BEAD program for the construction of broadband infrastructure and the development of programs to eliminate the digital divide. Volume 1 focused on answering questions three, five, six and seven of the Initial Proposal, and Volume 2 will respond to the remaining 15 questions. The public comment period will close on Sept.

In July, the West Virginia Department of Economic Development (WVDED) released the state's Draft Digital Equity Plan for public comment, asking stakeholders to weigh in on WVDED's strategy for bridging the digital divide. West Virginia’s Digital Equity Plan is a five-year, action-oriented roadmap for the WVDED—in collaboration with statewide partners—to ensure that every West Virginian can participate in today's increasingly digitally connected society.