Just More BEAD Plans

More states and territories are releasing their final Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program final proposals for public comment before seeking  National Telecommunications and Information Administration approval. These states received extensions past the NTIA’s early September deadline to submit final plans. 

• The Idaho Office of Broadband released its Draft Final Proposal for public comment on September 16. In its proposal, Idaho plans to spend almost $136 million of its $583 million in BEAD funding towards broadband deployment.

• New York's ConnectALL initiative was created by Gov Hochul (D-NY) with the mission of building New York State's digital infrastructure and connecting all state residents to broadband. ConnectALL's Draft Final Proposal for BEAD proposes to award $391 million of its $664 million in BEAD funding to broadband deployment projects throughout the Empire State.

• South Carolina was allocated more than $551 million for BEAD-related activities. In the South Carolina Broadband Office's new plan, the state will spend only $41 million of that amount on broadband deployment.

• The Missouri Office of Broadband Development plans to spend $792 million of its total BEAD allocation on broadband deployment.

• The ConnectSD Initiative plans to spend almost $73 million on broadband deployment, leaving $131 million in remaining BEAD funds.

• The Illinois Office of Broadband plans to allocate nearly all of its BEAD funding on broadband deployment. The draft proposal includes deployment awards totaling $1.04 billion, with $49 million in remaining funds.