Here are the latest signs that BEAD is falling apart

After a year of rebidding and guidance changes, the U.S. broadband industry breathed a sigh of relief when the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced it had approved the vast majority of final state Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment proposals, opening the door for funding to flow. But just a few months in, it seems cracks in the BEAD program are beginning to show. Nebraska just confirmed plans to reopen its BEAD bidding portal after the Nebraska Examiner reported three internet service providers declined to sign their final funding agreements. The state broadband office said 1,735 locations in the state remained without commitments, representing 12% of the 14,032 BEAD-eligible locations in the state. “In order to serve the remaining eligible locations, the Nebraska Broadband Office will open another application round to promote competition between internet providers with a focus on quality and end-user experience,” the state wrote in a press release. “In addition, NBO will publish a new map outlining the remaining inventory available for application in the coming weeks.”