Over a year after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) opened applications for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, the White House today finally announced how much money each state is going to get.
Texas came out on top with a BEAD allocation of $3.31 billion, with California ($1.86 billion), Missouri ($1.74 billion), Michigan ($1.56 billion) and North Carolina ($1.53 billion) also scoring a significant piece of the funding pie.
These BEAD awards fall in line with predictions made by Cartesian last week. However, the consulting firm had tipped Virginia to get around $1.6 billion in funds, whereas the state will actually receive $1.48 billion.
The complete list of BEAD recipients and their allocations can be found here.
NTIA will issue a formal notice of allocation to recipients on June 30. Once they receive that notice, eligible entities (all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories) will have 180 days to submit initial proposals describing how they plan to run their grant programs. Initial proposals can be submitted beginning July 1.
Once NTIA approves a state’s initial proposal, that state will be able to request access to at least 20% of its BEAD allotment.
“It’s the biggest investment in high-speed internet ever,” said President Joe Biden at the White House’s Investing in America event on Monday. “Because for today’s economy to work for everyone, internet access is just as important as electricity was, or water or other basic services.”
Biden added the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law in November 2021, has helped fund over 35,000 broadband projects to date.
“This is a watershed moment for millions of people across America who lack access to a high-speed internet connection. Access to Internet service is necessary for work, education, healthcare, and more,” said Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, in a statement. “States can now plan their internet access grant programs with confidence and engage with communities to ensure this money is spent where it is most needed.”