Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Mears cautions fiber hopefuls to engage construction firms early

Mears is a division of Quanta that provides construction services for fiber broadband deployment projects.

FCC Braces for Next Version of Broadband Map to be Released May 30, 2023

The next update to the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map will be released on May 30, said FCC senior officials. The map will reflect availability data reported by providers as of December 31, 2022, as well as challenges made more recently to that data. It’s an important development, as this is the version of the map that will be used for making allocations to states in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Louisiana releases BEAD proposal draft, digital equity plan

As states prepare to receive their allocations from the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, Louisiana is putting the finishing touches on its plan to put that money to work. The state’s broadband office released the first volume of its BEAD proposal, outlining Louisiana’s current efforts to deploy broadband, a breakdown of unserved and underserved locations as well as how it plans to tackle the challenge process.

Mississippi BEAD director credits electric co-ops for reaching rural

The most rural parts of Mississippi are home to expansive agricultural lands with low residential density and until recent years, little incentive for broadband providers to build broadband infrastructure. Homes in the Mississippi Delta—the state’s most untenanted area—have typically used satellite service to make do, according to Sally Doty, a former state senator who was appointed as Director of the new Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) office in 2022. As the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding nears deployment, the BEAM of

Biden-Harris Administration Awards $1.4 Million to the Northern Mariana Islands in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) granted the Northern Mariana Islands its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.

Biden-Harris Administration Awards Nearly $1.4 Million to American Samoa in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) granted American Samoa its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.

Biden-Harris Administration Awards $1.4 Million to Guam in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) granted Guam its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.

Communications and Technology Subcommittee Hearing Examines the National Telecommunications and Information Administration

The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened to conduct oversight of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The subcommittee is considering reauthorizing NTIA for the first time since 1993. Key questions leading into the hearing included:

BEAD Initial Proposal

In collaboration with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, ConnectLA has developed a first volume of Louisiana's proposal for how the state plans to use Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds to address Louisiana’s digital divide. This volume outlines current efforts to deploy broadband, a breakdown of unserved and underserved locations, and an overview of the process to challenge a provider’s service availability and performance.

How the FCC National Broadband Map Impacts the BEAD Program, Part 3 of 3: Meeting the Urgent Need

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is preparing to enter a crucial phase for the Internet for All initiative. Soon, it will notify states and territories of their BEAD program allocation amounts. Once those notifications are made, states and territories will have 180 days to submit their initial proposals. NTIA is confident it will have the data it needs to take that step when it makes the allocation announcement by June 30.