The purpose of this document is to outline the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Final Proposal Guidance to assist states and territories in submitting quality Final Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This document is intended solely to assist recipients in better understanding the BEAD Program and the requirements set forth in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for this program. This document does not and is not intended to supersede, modify, or otherwise alter applicable statutory or regulatory requirements, the terms and conditions of the award, or the specific application requirements set forth in the NOFO or subsequently issued guidance. In all cases, statutory and regulatory mandates, the terms and conditions of the award, the requirements set forth in the NOFO, and follow-on policies and guidance, shall prevail over any inconsistencies contained in this document. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act sets an ambitious overarching goal: internet for all. But past access and adoption, states are asked to think about how increased access to and use of broadband can drive equitable outcomes in areas like access to health care and essential services, education and job training, and participation in the society, economy, and civic institutions of the Nation. In planning to achieve digital equity, states are responsible for developing and measuring the key performance indicators (KPIs) that can demonstrate tangible progress toward this goal, along five “measurable objectives:”

1. The availability of, and affordability of access to, fixed and wireless broadband technology;
2. The online accessibility and inclusivity of public resources and services; 
3. Digital literacy;  
4. Awareness of, and the use of, measures to secure the online privacy of, and cybersecurity with respect to, an individual; and
5. The availability and affordability of consumer devices and technical support for those devices. 

In Measuring Measurable Objectives: How States Will Track Digital Equity Progress, we've analyzed state digital equity plans to understand how states are defining these indicators, what existing data sources they are using, what new data they are collecting, and how they are using this information to guide their digital equity work. As states begin implementing their digital equity plans, understanding these metrics and methodologies will allow stakeholders to track the nation’s progress toward universal broadband adoption.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was a crucial resource that made the internet more affordable for the 23 million households previously enrolled. ACP—which offered $30 per month for internet bills, $75 per month on Tribal lands, and a one-time discount for devices—was a safety net for eligible households, particularly those living in rural and underserved areas. However, with the program’s end on June 1, communities are feeling the strain of having that safety net removed, and families that once relied on it are back to struggling to stay connected. The loss of ACP is not just a policy issue; it’s a real-world crisis for those who depend on affordable internet to survive and thrive. The program’s end has had tangible, negative impacts on its former participants and has challenged digital inclusion practitioners in their efforts to connect community members.

Alaska Power & Telephone Company proudly announces completion of the “SEALink South” submarine fiber optic cable project, the latest segment in its growing southeast Alaska broadband network. The AP&T team completed the installation one year ahead of schedule. SEALink South includes a submarine cable system interconnecting Ketchikan with the communities of Hollis and Coffman Cove, beachfront cable landing sites, various terrestrial facilities, and associated transport equipment. SEALink South is funded via a $29.3 million USDA ReConnect grant, plus additional matching funds supplied by AP&T. Funds are also being used to construct fiber to the home in communities across Prince of Wales Island.

Internet Essentials will feature increased speeds of 75 Mbps for all new and existing customers—that’s 50 times faster than the speed when the program was launched. To meet the ever-changing needs of our users, Internet Essentials has adapted over the years and expanded our reach 12 times so that all lower-income people in our footprint are eligible to sign up. The newly enhanced Internet Essentials plan will be available for just $14.95 per month as we continue to deliver significant value to the product including free WiFi equipment, unlimited data, and access to more than 23 million Xfinity WiFi hotspots.

Two undersea internet cables in the Baltic Sea have been suddenly disrupted, according to local telecommunications companies, amid fresh warnings of possible Russian interference with global undersea infrastructure. Telecommunications company Telia Lithuania's monitoring systems could tell there was a cut due to the traffic disruption, and that the cause was likely physical damage to the cable itself. Another cable linking Finland and Germany was also disrupted, according to Cinia, the state-controlled Finnish company that runs the link. The incidents came as two of the affected countries, Sweden and Finland, updated their guidance to citizens on how to survive war. Millions of households in the Nordic nations will be given booklets with instructions on how to prepare for the effects of military conflicts, communications outages and power cuts. Both countries joined NATO in the past two years, after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Donald Trump will nominate the veteran Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department, elevating one of the financial world’s most vocal supporters of Trump to a crucial position overseeing the incoming administration’s aggressive trade agenda. Lutnick, chief executive officer of the financial-services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, has become a close Trump ally and had been a top contender to lead the Treasury Department. As the co-chair of the president-elect’s transition team, Lutnick has spent much of his time at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private Florida club, poring over shortlists of candidates for positions in the administration. Trump signaled that Lutnick would have expansive authority over his trade agenda, announcing that his nominee would have “direct responsibility” over the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The office currently exists as a separate entity from Commerce. USTR is historically a cabinet-level job that reports directly to the president. Trump’s transition team didn’t immediately respond to a request for clarity on Lutnick’s portfolio. Lutnick has fiercely defended Trump’s economic proposals in the face of opposition from some on Wall Street, who worry that the president-elect’s pledge to impose sweeping tariffs will trigger trade wars and ultimately lead to higher prices for American consumers. Lutnick would join a long line of commerce secretaries who have been chosen from among a president’s biggest donors. But the Commerce Department — which has an $11 billion budget and roughly 51,000 workers — has grown in importance in its own right in recent years. The agency is the nation’s primary advocate for the commercial interests of U.S. businesses globally. However, it also oversees an increasingly important system of technology restrictions, which bar exports of certain technology, including semiconductors, to China, Russia and elsewhere, for national security reasons. It is also charged with dispensing tens of billions of dollars of subsidies to U.S. chip manufacturers under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, and regulating artificial intelligence. Because of this, it is considered one of the most critical parts of the government in determining whether China or the United States will dominate industries of the future. Lutnick will also inherit an effort by the Biden administration to provide broadband internet access to at least 6.25 million households and locations across the country by 2025.

President-elect Donald Trump announced he will appoint current Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr to be the next FCC chair. Here’s a few observations on what this is likely to mean for the telecommunications and broadband industry. Net Neutrality undoubtedly will be reversed again. Since its inception, it has come and gone, depending on which party is in the White House. A Republican commission under Carr could have another big impact that would be detrimental to big tech, according to a research note from Washington insider and National Broadband Plan author Blair Levin. Levin, now with NewStreet Research, noted that Carr has wanted the tech sector to pay into the Universal Service Fund (USF). Elon Musk, one of the richest men in the world, is also the man behind SpaceX, which offers the Starlink LEO satellite service. And as Musk has become close to Trump, Trump may seek to establish telecommunications and broadband policies that favor Starlink.