States Report Major Cost Savings in BEAD Broadband Proposals

State broadband officials reported dramatic cost reductions and diverse technology deployments as most states faced a deadline of Thursday, September 4, to submit final proposals for the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. Maine achieved the most striking cost efficiency, with Andrew Butcher, president of the Maine Connectivity Authority, saying that his state would spend just $48 million to serve remaining unconnected locations—down from an original $272 million allocation. Maine's technology mix includes 85 percent fiber deployments, 14 percent low Earth orbit satellite and 1 percent hybrid fixed cable.