Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

Hawaii’s broadband landscape has challenges like no other U.S. state. So how do you deliver broadband access to 100% of the residents and businesses in the most remote of the 50 states? “100% is hard to get to, but we’re going to make a really good try to get there,” said Garret Yoshimi, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer of the University of Hawaii. Yoshimi is not Hawaii’s state broadband director.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Arizona's Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

In 2022, the Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) commissioned a survey of 2,000+ Coloradans, 18+ agencies, 200+ local governments, nonprofits, and organizations serving marginalized populations to assess the current state of broadband in Colorado. At the time, only approximately 76 percent of households in Colorado subscribed to broadband despite over 90 percent having access.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont's Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Missouri and Tennessee’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Missouri and Tennessee to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.

Ciena is well known in the telecommunications space as an optical transport vendor, but when the company saw all the money becoming available from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, it wanted to get in on that action. About two years ago, the company made the decision to get into the fiber access business to homes and businesses. Recently Ciena CEO Gary Smith said that investments in fiber broadband access, fueled by "massive public funding around the world," are projected to grow the 10G and above PON market by a 55% CAGR to approximately $7 billion by 2027.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont's Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.  This approval enables Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. One year from Initial Proposal approval, states must submit a Final Propos

California is getting more than $1.8 billion in federal grant money to expand high-speed broadband service in areas where residents have little to no access. But advocates say the state is undercounting the true number of residents who lack internet, especially those living in apartment buildings. That could mean dense cities like Los Angeles not getting their fair share.

Seven recommendations to allow the Department of Commerce to assist the next President in implementing a bold agenda to deliver economic prosperity and strong national security, including: 

A framework for Build America, Buy America (BABA) self-certification and compliance in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: