NTIA Opens a Second Round of BEAD Funding for Locations the Program Missed the First Time

On September 3, 2026, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice to allow states, territories, and the District of Columbia (known collectively as Eligible Entities) to access additional BEAD funding to address locations that may remain unserved due to defaults in other federal and/or state programs, misreporting by providers, and other changes to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) broadband DATA maps since the completion of their federally approved deployment plans (called "Final Proposals"). Adhering to the requirements of this new guidance will likely add nine months or more to the BEAD process.