Montana

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) doesn’t appear to have made major changes to states’ award recommendations in the Benefit of the Bargain round in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program—at least not based on analysis of NTIA award approvals for several states. NTIA made relatively small changes to the award recommendations that Louisiana and Maine submitted in the Benefit of the Bargain round. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is not making any changes to awardee lists that have been approved by NTIA.

Today's big news is that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved 18 Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Final Proposals. As a reminder, we've been tracking what those proposals looked like when they were submitted to the NTIA. In the coming days, we'll be examining the final final (Is that what we should call them?) BEAD plans to see what changes were made during the approval process.

Following a June 6 announcement from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that restructured the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, all states and territories have been tasked with reevaluating their plans to connect un- and underserved locations to high-speed internet.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB or Bureau) announced that certain Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) census block groups (CBGs) are now eligible for other funding programs.

How are state offices navigating the changes to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program? “We stopped the trains on [June 6] when we saw [the news] pop at noon,” said Misty Ann Giles, director of the Department of Administration and chief operating officer for the state of Montana. Giles said her staff has been meeting regularly, “unpacking the new guidance, and meeting with our Communication Advisory Commission members.” Her team’s top priority is to better understand the timelines outlined in the new guidelines.

Lumen Technologies wrote to the Federal Communications Commission to relinquish Rural Digital Opportunity Fund awards in areas of Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington. "As a result of Lumen’s relinquishment of support, these census block groups may now become eligible for other federal, state, or local subsidy programs, such as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program.

Visionary Broadband has acquired Montana-based MTWeb. Visionary says that the deal will expand its presence in the village of Whitehall and provide expanded services in the Twin Bridges, Pipestone, and Cardwell areas. The areas impacted are in the central area of the state.

To close Montana’s digital divide, the Montana Broadband Office created a Digital Opportunity Plan, which addresses broadband adoption barriers in four main areas: availability, service affordability, device access, and digital skills.