Massachusetts Broadband Institute: No Need for Round 2 BEAD Grant Solicitation

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute has announced that the reduction of underserved or unserved broadband serviceable locations that will result from the strong response to Gap Networks Grant Program and Round 1 of their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program solicitations has led to the cancellation of the Round 2 solicitation. The result will be the start of direct negotiations with potential providers. MBI, in a statement credited to director Michael Baldino, says that providers who did not participate in the Pre-Qualification Process or the BEAD Round 1 grant solicitation still can participate in negotiations. All subgrantee solicitations must complete the qualification process to be provisionally selected by the MBI as a subgrantee. All subgrantee selections are provisional and must be approved during the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s review of the Massachusetts BEAD Final Proposal.