Hello, it's BEAD Again
Friday, October 10, 2025
Weekly Digest
Hello, it's BEAD Again
You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday.
Round-Up for the Week of October 6-10, 2025
The vast majority of states and territories have released their Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program final proposals for public comment. Many have closed their feedback periods, wrapped up their plans, and submitted those plans to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval. For the few remaining states that received extensions on the deadline to submit final plans, this process is still underway. Here are a few of the states that are in the process of completing their plans.
Alaska
The Alaska Broadband Office (ABO) closed its public comment period for the state's Draft Final Proposal on October 2.
Out of Alaska's total BEAD allocation of over $1 billion, ABO's final proposal plans to award $766 million for broadband deployment throughout the state. Alaska has more than $251 million left in its total BEAD allocation.
The state aims to connect 44,297 eligible un- and underserved locations, as well as 195 community anchor institutions (CAIs), via the deployment projects listed in its plan. ABO's technology breakdown comes to approximately 53 percent fiber broadband, 33 percent low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite, and 13 percent fixed wireless deployment.
Telecompetitor reports that Alaska has the highest average cost per location of any other state at just over $36,000 per location. The largest awardees in Alaska are GCI Communication Corp ($140 million) and Dena Nena Henash ($91 million). The latter is also known as Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) and is a non-profit Alaskan Native organization.
Utah
The Utah Broadband Center (UBC) released its Draft Final Proposal for public comment on September 25 and closed the comment period on October 2. UBC's plan accounted for $231 million of its total BEAD allotment of $317 million, leaving $86 million open for potential non-deployment activities.
UBC identifies 32,229 eligible locations in its plan, along with 32 CAIs. The technologies to be used include fiber (55%), LEO satellite (25%), and fixed wireless (17%).
The largest awardee of broadband deployment funding under Utah's draft final proposal is UBTA-UBET Communications at $49.6 million. Doing business as STRATA Networks, UBTA-UBET operates as a non-profit, community-based cooperative.
Florida
FloridaCommerce's Office of Broadband closed the public comment period on its Draft Final Proposal on October 2 and submitted the plan to NTIA on October 3.
While NTIA allocated over $1 billion in BEAD funding to Florida, the state's draft proposal only awards $291 million for broadband deployment activities. The Office of Broadband identifies 102,591 locations eligible for funding.
Florida's technology breakdown is: 47 percent fiber, 25 percent LEO satellite, and 14 percent fixed wireless.
The big winner in Florida is Comcast, which received more than $116 million (approximately 40% of all funding awarded).
Waiting on the Stragglers
A small handful of states and territories have yet to release their BEAD plans for public comment. We'll provide an update to our running tracker of draft final proposals once the last group is through.
While the federal government remains in shutdown, NTIA keeps working on the BEAD Program. The Department of Commerce indicated in its shutdown contingency plan that NTIA programs financed by resources other than current year annual appropriations will continue to be implemented. Thus, BEAD and a host of other programs are ongoing.
To view previously released plan highlights, check out:
- Just More BEAD Plans
- BEAD BEAD BEAD, and More BEAD Plans
- States Finalize Their BEAD Proposals
- More BEAD Draft Final Proposals Are Released for Public Comment
- Benefit of the Bargain BEAD Proposals Roll In
Quick Bits
- NDIA Files Lawsuit Seeking Reinstatement of Bipartisan Digital Equity Act’s Competitive Grant Program
- Native Entity Capacity & Planning Grant Program
- FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for October 2025 Open Meeting
- Chairman Carr Launches FCC's 'Space Month' Agenda
Weekend Reads
- Hand in Hand: Schools’ Embrace of AI Connected to Increased Risks to Students
- The network dialectic: the digital divide and the contradictions of Philadelphia's digital equity strategy
- Wired and working? An evaluation of broadband expansion in Rural America
ICYMI from Benton
- 19 Million Older Adults Lack Broadband
- Is Your Community's Broadband Affordable?
- Show Me Broadband Coalition Leader Shows Support for Missouri's BEAD Final Proposal
- Are Data Centers Draining the Resources of the South?
Upcoming Events
Oct 10––A Conversation with Dr. Nicol Turner Lee (Georgetown Institute for Technology Law & Policy)
Oct 14––Employer Workforce Preparedness in the Fiber Broadband Industry: How Build-Ready Are We? (Fiber Broadband Association)
Oct 15––2025 Maryland Digital Opportunity Summit (University of Maryland Extension)
Oct 15––Bridging the Gaps in Disability Policy (New America)
Oct 16––KINBERCON (KeystoneREN)
Oct 21––A Catalyst for Economic Growth: Why Broadband Adoption Matters (Fiber Broadband Association)
Oct 22––Building Network Infrastructure to Deliver the AI Revolution (Wireless Infrastructure Association)
Oct 22––Securing Broadband: Cybersecurity Strategies for BEAD Subgrantees and Stakeholders (Fiber Broadband Association)
Oct 30––43rd Annual Parker Lecture and Awards Ceremony (United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry)
The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.
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