State

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) sees the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program as Virginia’s opportunity to finish the job of extending broadband access and also make long-term, transformational investments into broadband affordability and adoption. With the $1.48 billion in BEAD funds for Virginia, DHCD is finalizing plans to extend broadband infrastructure to the remaining unserved locations without a funded solution for connectivity and designing programs to meaningfully address broadband affordability and adoption.

In 2021, Congress enacted the Digital Equity Act (DEA) as part of the massive Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This marked the first time that federal lawmakers had dedicated funding specifically for digital equity programming, providing money for state broadband offices to analyze the digital equity landscape in their states and develop plans to reduce the barriers to accessing such critical service. For the first time, all 50 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico created digital equity plans under the planning grant program.

The Washington State Department of Commerce released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Broadband Equity Assistive Technology program. The Department of Commerce is soliciting proposals from qualified entities to distribute assistive technology and digital literacy skills training to individuals with disabilities. The goal of this project is to promote equal access to technology and digital inclusion to online education, employment, and community life for individuals with disabilities. Proposals are due November 12 by 5pm PST. 

When will the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) money start flowing? Most states have had their Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 processes approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), according to NTIA’s Progress Dashboard. Vol. 1 is focused on the mapping challenge process, and Vol. 2 consists of the remainder of the state’s BEAD implementation plan. Yet, the wait continues.

On November 15, 2021, U.S. Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which created the Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) program. BEAD’s $42.45 billion budget makes it the largest federal broadband deployment program to date.

In a nation where some states didn’t have broadband offices until a year or so ago, North Carolina and the state’s director of broadband infrastructure, Angela “Angie” Bailey, are relative broadband veterans. The state has been involved in broadband for 20 years and Bailey has been the broadband director since 2021—a heritage that should benefit the state as the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) rural broadband funding program unfolds. Beginning in 2018, North Carolina allocated $15 million per year for broadband, Bailey explained.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Arkansas’ Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.  This approval enables Arkansas to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. Arkansas was allocated over $1 billion to deploy or upgrade Internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service.  

Access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet remains a pressing need across the U.S., especially in states with higher rural populations. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program aims to address the connectivity gap between those who have access and those who don’t.

Over $158 million in broadband expansion projects were approved by the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board. The 50 awarded projects are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Project Funds. The Oklahoma Broadband Office had $159 million available to award for the projects. The projects will bring internet service to over 28,000 homes and businesses spanning 28 counties in Oklahoma, mostly in rural areas. The 50 approved grants are for 12 different internet service providers.